


Right Place, Wrong Time

by PsychVamp



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Romance, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-08 02:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 47
Words: 167,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4287060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychVamp/pseuds/PsychVamp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caroline and Elena accidentally get sent back to when the Originals are still human. Perceptions change, but how can they get back to the future without changing the past? Follows both events in the past, and the present. There will be a lot of relationships developed throughout this story, some will be romantic but most will be about friendship. Set basically between seasons 3 and 4.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: The Plan

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this story on FFnet while season 4 was airing, it is still up there, but this will be better written as I am editing every chapter before I post it. This is first story I am posting on this site, so I am still working on getting used to the tags and everything. If there is anything you think I should add let me know!

Prologue: The Plan

 

"I am still going to go with this is a very, very bad idea." Caroline said, probably for the hundredth time at this point. For three days she had been trying to convince Bonnie and Elena that this was a horrible idea, but they hadn't listened, like usual.

"Come on Caroline, stop worrying. I have checked the spell over and over again, this will work." Bonnie insisted as she lit the six candles in front of her, each representing one of the Original vampires.

"Why do you need six? Obviously Mikael and Finn are not the makers of my bloodline, as they are dead, and I'm not." Caroline pointed out, earning a sigh from Bonnie.

"It doesn't matter, for this to work I need a representation of each of the Originals." She explained and looked briefly at Elena before continuing, "I will need a drop of your blood on each candle Elena."

"Of course you do." Elena replied with a sigh but pricked her finger with the needle Bonnie held out to her, and put a few drops on each candle.

Bonnie took a small metal goblet and handed it to Caroline, "You need to fill this about halfway with your blood."

"Seriously? Elena gets a few drops on some candles and I get half a cup? Magic is so unfair." Caroline muttered but cut her wrist and filled the goblet anyway.

"Now, you're sure nothing will happen to us physically right?" Elena asked, just making sure she wasn't sending herself, Caroline or Bonnie to their deaths.

"Yes, it should just transport Caroline's mind through time to the Original that created the bloodline at the time he, or she, turned the first person in it." Bonnie explained again.

"Am I going to feel their death or transition or something?" Caroline asked, really wishing they could have used Stefan or Damon for this, but they knew neither would have ever agreed. _And they wouldn't have been wrong_ , Caroline thought, _After all when do any of our plans every work the way they are supposed to?_

"You shouldn't. You should just be a casual observer watching the events unfold." Bonnie assured her, giving a small smile, "You guys ready?"

"I guess so, though they are a lot of 'shoulds' in that explanation." Caroline responded and looked nervously at Elena.

Elena nodded and watched anxiously as Bonnie began speaking in a language neither she nor Caroline understood. The wind picked up, swirling their hair around their faces, and the flames jumped high above all of their heads from where they sat on the ground. Caroline felt her body start to tingle, and glanced at Elena with fear in her eyes. Elena was looking fuzzy though, as if she was fading into nothingness. Caroline looked at herself and noticed that her body appeared just as transparent. The spell was not working right, that much was clear. Caroline shut her eyes, not wishing to watch herself disappear into the unknown, and really wished she had put her foot down and not agreed to this at all.


	2. A Past That Shouldn't Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls begin to understand what has happened to them

Caroline woke up with a start and jumped to her feet, taking in a shaking Elena. The forest they were currently in was eerily similar to the one they had grown up with, but it was newer, and felt less corrupted somehow. Caroline thought the air smelled and tasted different, more pure than her heightened breathing had ever taken in before.

"Where do you think we are?" Elena asked, looking around her in confusion.

"I think we are still in Mystic Falls." Caroline answered, not even remotely sure if she was right, "I just don't think we are in the same century. The trees look different and the air tastes so much purer. I just want to point out, I knew trying this spell was a bad idea."

"I think we have more important things to worry about right now then you saying 'I told you so'." Elena replied, "We need to figure out where we are, when we are and then try to find someone to help us get back."

"Let's start walking then." Caroline responded with a sigh, and the two set off in whatever direction they were facing.

Elena felt like they had been walking for days, even though she was knew that wasn't the truth. She was still trying to figure out what had gone wrong with the plan but assumed it had something more to do with the spell than anything she had done. Elena was a little worried about how Caroline was going to handle this, she knew that her best friend liked to be in control, and that was probably not going to happen in this situation.

"I can hear something up ahead and there is a lingering human smell that is getting stronger." Caroline said suddenly and Elena found the way she said it slightly nerve wracking, like a hunter stalking its prey.

The village they came across was nothing special, a few modest huts and a large well, but the people they saw there was something else entirely. The women were dressed in simple dresses, either wool or cotton, and the men wore the same fabric of pants, loose fitted shirts and leathers vests. Everyone seemed to be busy doing something in a hurry, almost like there was always something that needed to be done and not enough time in the day to do it.

Elena heard Caroline gasp and ask, "Is that Elijah?"

Looking at the man with long hair walking through the village carrying some cut logs. "I think so." Elena responded, looking at the man that resembled her favorite Original. She looked at him closely, noticing that the air of confidence and respect that usually seemed to stand out from Elijah was not present in this version.

"So if Elijah is here and he is human, which he is by the way, I can tell from here, does that mean we are almost one thousand years in the past?" Caroline asked, more for just saying it aloud than for an answer.

"Oh, this is really not good." Elena responded, watching as a woman that looked remarkably like herself walk up to Elijah.

"So, trying to figure out the originator of the bloodline brought us back to the time when it actually started...stupid magic..." Caroline muttered as they huddled together behind some trees on the edge of the village.

"Can't say I disagree." Elena responded, wrapping her arms closely around herself, it was slowly getting colder as night descended and the season seemed to have gone from summer to fall.

"We need to a find a place to sleep, something warmer for you to wear, and a way back to the future." Caroline stated, letting her near OCD planning mind take hold, mostly because when she had a plan she felt better.

"I can help with all of those things." A voice said suddenly to their right.

Caroline immediately jumped into a defensive position in front of Elena, whom asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Ayanna." She answered, eying Caroline and Elena closely, "Would you two be responsible for the burst of power I felt earlier?"

"We are," Elena replied, "And you are a witch."

"Yes, but you are not. And you," She took another step and examined Caroline closer, "Are not of balance with nature, I have never seen or felt your like before."

"You will soon." Caroline responded, giving a smile, not relaxing her stance unless it became clear that Ayanna meant them no harm.

"Follow me." Was Ayanna's only reply, and started skirting around the village, staying in the woods and out of sight.

Caroline looked to Elena, who said, "I don't think we have a choice." They saw no other option than to follow the witch and hoped that they could trust her. Elena was studying the woman closely, according to Esther this was an ancestor of Bonnie, but that didn't mean the she could be trusted. At the same time though, Elena didn't think they had any other options. They slowly approached a hut that had a slightly different look then the others and Ayanna gestured for them to go inside.

Elena did without hesitation, but Caroline had to say, "I can't enter without an invitation."

"That is very interesting. You may enter…" She paused, realizing she had never asked for names.

"Caroline, and that is Elena." Caroline responded.

"You are welcome into my home Caroline, please come in." Ayanna said, and followed Caroline into the hut, closing the door behind her.

Elena looked around in wonder, it was a simple home, with a cot like bed against one wall, a long low table that was covered in herbs and bowls along another, with shelves above it, and a few simple chairs scattered around the room. There was a fire pit in the center of the room, with short stools positioned around it, and from the window hung various types of jewelry.

"Now, please, sit, tell me how you came to be here." Ayanna said, sitting on one side of the fire and stoking it with poker.

Caroline and Elena each sat on the opposite side across from her, and Caroline looked to Elena to tell the story, "We are from the future and we were sent here on accident by our friend Bonnie, one of your decedents. The spell was originally only supposed to send her mind back to the start of where her vampire bloodline began after the Original vampire. But something must have gone wrong because we were both sent here."

"Many of your words are confusing. Bloodline? Original? Vampire? What are you talking about?" Ayanna asked, looking at them with a look of confused, indifference.

"I am a vampire." Caroline spoke up, "Vampires are creatures that live off the blood of humans, have super human abilities and other such things. The Original vampires are from this time, we saw one of them earlier in the village, still human. Every vampire alive is descended from one of the six Originals. We wanted to find out from which one of these bloodlines I am descended from."

"Who are these vampires and how were they created?" Ayanna asked, suddenly she was very interested, and leaned forward.

"Esther turned her family into vampires to protect them." Elena replied, knowing that Ayanna would know of the people she spoke of.

"She would be the only one with such power." Ayanna whispered under her breath, "How far into the future are you from?"

"Nearly a thousand years." Elena told her.

"Why do you need to find the originator of your bloodline?" Ayanna asked next, looking directly at Caroline, her eyes unreadable.

"To know which of the Originals we can safely kill. You see, if you kill an Original, their entire bloodline dies as well." Caroline explained, "And I don't want to die."

"I see." Ayanna answered simply, then said, "I will help you find a way back to your time but it will not be easy and it will most likely take a lot of time."

"What are we supposed to do while we wait?" Caroline asked, not looking forward to the idea of being stuck in this hut for a long period of time.

"We will come up with a story for your presence in the village. That will be the easy part…" Ayanna said before standing quickly and searching through her herbs and bowls.

"What is the hard part?" Elena asked, nervous at the witch's movements.

"You look exactly like Tatia, that cannot be easily explained, and you will have to do that for me later. I will need to change your features, do not worry, it will not be a permanent spell, it will fade away with my death."

"So I will look different until I return to the future?" Elena asked for clarification.

"Yes." She simply answered, never stalling in her search.

"Well, it is good that is settled, but we do have another problem." Caroline pointed out, and got a sideways look from Elena, "If we start walking around town, eventually we will run into one of the Originals. Won't knowing us in the past somehow change the future?"

Elena didn't have an answer, so she just looked to Ayanna, who had finally stopped her looking to turn and face them. Elena didn't think she had the answer either.

* * *

 

Bonnie came to in a haze, she looked at the woods that surrounded her, and she was now completely alone. The fire and bowl were still sitting in front of her, and the bags that the girls had brought with them were where they had been left. Bonnie began to panic as she realized hours had passed. She knew that Elena and Caroline would never have left her alone, unconscious, in the middle of the woods.

"This is not good." Bonnie chided herself out loud, and she started packing up her things quickly. Her calls to Caroline and Elena resulted in nothing but rings from the bags beside her. Bonnie drove to the Salvatore house as fast as she could without killing herself. The sound of her frantic driving must have alerted the two vampires inside because they came running out of the house.

"Bonnie, what's wrong?" Stefan asked, taking in her panicked appearance as she got out of the car.

"I….we….something happened to…" Bonnie didn't know how to explain what had happened, she wasn't even really sure she knew herself.

"Bonnie, what happened?" Damon insisted, his voice calm but determined.

"Elena and Caroline, they….they…" Bonnie tried again, "Are gone."

"Gone where Bonnie?" Stefan asked, his voice different than before, it was now a mix of anger and panic.

"I don't know." She answered truthfully, looking between the two brothers with fear in her eyes.

"Oh, I think we could answer that question for you." Rebekah's voice said suddenly from their right.

The three of them turned quickly to look at the Original and noticed she wasn't alone, Klaus was standing next to her, and he did not look happy.

"What did you do?" Damon demanded of the Originals, looking more at Klaus than Rebekah for answers.

"I have done nothing." Klaus responded his voice short and clipped, "Your witch is the one responsible for the current problem. We simply have a solution to it." He and Rebekah stepped closer, "Now, are you going to keep slinging accusations at us, or would you like us to tell you where Caroline and Elena are?"

"How would you know where they are? I cast the spell and even I don't know what has become of them." Bonnie inquired, never taking her eyes off of the siblings.

"It really is a question more of when they are." Rebekah supplied, causing the three of them to become lost in thought.

"When are they?" Stefan asked, his voice back to its calm and reasonable state, though it held an edge of confusion and distrust.

"Nearly a thousand years in the past and we are the only ones you can help you get them back." Rebekah answered, looking sideways at Klaus before looking at Stefan once again. Klaus watched the Salvatores and Bonnie take in their words, confusion and fear lacing their features. He did not think much of their problems, he was much more concerned about his own. There were now months' worth of memories flooding his brain, filling in gaps in his past that he hadn't even realized were there, and changing his emotions in ways he did not find acceptable. The ringing of his phone tore him, and everyone else, from their thoughts, "Hello brother, enjoying a few new memories? Rebekah and I are finding them quite enlightening."

"What has happened Niklaus? Why do I suddenly have these memories of Elena and Caroline spending time with us as humans?" Elijah asked, his tone suggesting he was not in the mood for games.

"Bonnie conducted a little spell, it backfired, sending Caroline and Elena to us in the past. I assume the memory loss is Ayanna's doing though." Klaus explained, and watched as everyone took in his answer, especially since only Bonnie could not hear the entire conversation.

"I will be back in Mystic Falls tomorrow. We can discuss this…development then, in more detail." Elijah informed him.

"I am looking forward to it." Klaus responded and hung up the phone.

"What do you mean memory loss?" Bonnie asked before she could stop herself.

"We didn't remember Elena and Caroline being with us in the past until you cast your spell that sent them back in time. It was as if a flood gate had opened and a bunch of fuzzy memories from the past became crystal clear." Rebekah explained, and looked at Klaus before continuing, "It is a very strange feeling."

"We are assuming that Bonnie's ancestor that we knew as humans must have locked our memories once we became vampires. As to not affect the future with any changes Caroline or Elena could have caused by being in a place they do not belong. The magic of Bonnie's spell in the present must have removed the memory spell." Klaus informed them, looking at them as they tried to process this information.

"How do you know this?" Bonnie asked again, finding all this magic with its perfect links hard to believe.

"We have been alive a long time." Rebekah said, "We know a lot more about magic then you do. Plus, I have a vague memory of Elena telling me this would happen."

"Why would they want you to forget them?" Stefan questioned, doing his best to remain calm.

"Because, for them to be sent back to the future, Bonnie needed to be able to cast the spell to send them back. If things didn't happen exactly as they were supposed to, then Bonnie wouldn't cast the spell. Time travel can be confusing," Klaus said, frustration evident in his voice, "I think at the moment it would be best if we focus at the problem at hand, and worry about that at a different time."

"Klaus is right." Damon admitted reluctantly, "What we need to do is focus on getting Elena and Barbie back. Now, how do we do that exactly?"

"It is complicated and requires precise lunar timing." Klaus said and removed a few pieces of paper from his pocket, handing it to Bonnie, "We have two weeks to accomplish everything on that list, or we have to wait six months to try again."

"And don't worry. We will help with this, every step of the way." Rebekah replied, smirking at the brothers and the witch.

"Why are you so eager to help?" Damon asked, looking at the blonde vampire with suspicion, "You don't like Elena or Caroline."

Rebekah gave a small laugh, "I have reasons that you will never be able to understand Damon, but I assure you, my intentions are strictly honorable."

"I'll believe that when I see it." Damon said through clenched teeth.

"Oh, you will." Rebekah answered before walking toward the house, and with a smirk asked, "Anyone else care for a drink?" 


	3. New Experiences

Elena and Caroline became famous almost instantly, apparently new arrivals were a rare thing in a village that most people didn't even know existed. Ayanna's spell had changed Elena's features to be similar to Caroline's, giving them the appearance of sisters, though Elena's hair and eyes remained the same. Ayanna had spent two days teaching them about the world they now lived in, explaining the roles of each person in the society and going over their fake backstory. Elena and Caroline would be the daughters of a friend sent to Ayanna for protection from the dangers of the Old World. Ayanna had told them to not worry about the Originals, she would find a way to alter their memories at a later time as to not harm future events.

Caroline wasn't as confident in the magic of their new friend as Elena seemed to be but neither had much of a choice besides trusting her with their lives. "I think I need to go for a walk and clear my head." Caroline announced suddenly as they were finishing up collecting water for Ayanna, one of the many chores they had been given.

"Ayanna said not to go anywhere alone, too dangerous." Elena responded, struggling to keep her bucket from tipping.

"I am a vampire Elena, the only one in existence at the moment." She giggled at the thought, "Nothing can hurt me."

"There are werewolves here remember?" Elena reminded her friend, keeping her voice low encase anyone was nearby.

"And there isn't a full moon tonight, even if there was, I promise I won't be gone that long. Besides, I really need to hunt." Caroline insisted, she hadn't had much blood in days, only a few rats that had stumbled into Ayanna's home, and the urge to feed was becoming overwhelming.

"Oh, I completely forgot about that Care." Elena responded, feeling ashamed of herself for not thinking about those needs earlier.

"It is fine Elena. I am just going to have to live on the Stefan Salvatore bunny diet for a while." She commented, trying to smile but not really looking forward to it. She was pretty sure she could control herself and do some feeding off of the townsfolk but one mistake and she wouldn't put it past Ayanna to kill her.

"Okay," Elena consented, "I will explain to Ayanna, she will just have to understand."

"Thanks Elena." Caroline said, putting her buckets down next to the door of the house, "I will be back later."

She looked quickly around and seeing the coast was clear, she used her super vampire speed and raced off into the woods. Caroline stopped when she felt she was a good distance from the village and just let herself relax. Being so hungry around all those throbbing veins was getting more and more difficult, she had almost attacked Elena this morning when she got a small cut on her hand.

A twig snapped to her right and on instinct she crept closer to the sound, being as quite as a ghost. The sound and breathing indicated it was much larger than a rabbit. It was then she spotted it, a young deer, probably only a year or so old. Perfect, she thought to herself, that should keep me for a few days. Caroline attacked it without a second thought, the deer put up a good fight, but it was no match for Caroline's strength as she snapped its back, paralyzing it and quickly drained its blood, wanting to reduce its suffering as quickly as possible. When she was done, she slowly stood and wiped the blood that was on her lips. Looking down at herself, she knew that she could not return to the village in her bloody and muddy state. If anyone were to see her it would raise too many questions. She remembered passing a stream on her way to her hunting grounds and decided that it would be the perfect place to clean up a bit.

The stream was secluded and she was alone, so Caroline also decided to take the opportunity to take a bath as well as clean her dress. The water was cold but it didn't affect Caroline in her vampire state, and she relished in the feeling of the water over her naked body. She closed her eyes and just let the water flow around her as she floated on her back.

"Would you care for some company love?" A familiar voice asked suddenly from the bank. Caroline shot up quickly, covering herself in the water, and half wondering how he was able to sneak up on her. She was a vampire and he was nothing more than a human.

She came up with the only response she could think of, "It is rude to spy on people."

"I wouldn't call it spying, more admiring the view." He smirked, though it was not nearly as confident as she was used to.

"I would call it spying. Now turn around so I can get out." Caroline commanded and was somewhat shocked when he did as she said. She quickly got out of the water and threw on her dress, not even bothering to try with the ties. She wanted to yell at him, but realized that in this time they had never met, "Who are you?"

"Does that mean I can turn around?" He asked, and even with his back turned she knew he was smirking.

"Yes, but you must tell me your name." She commanded again, she was doing her best to remain calm, and not let her nerves get the best of her.

He turned around slowly and looked her up and down with a smiling face before looking in her eyes and holding out a hand, he responded, "Niklaus at your service."

"Caroline." She replied and put her hand in his, feeling odd at introducing herself to someone she had known for months.

She was shocked when he brought it up to his lips and gave it a kiss, "It is truly a pleasure to meet you Caroline."

"And you Niklaus." She uttered, never having said his full name before.

"Please, call me Klaus. Everyone else does." He commented, allowing her to remove her hand without a fight, "May I accompany you back to the village?"

Caroline wanted to refuse, but the human Klaus intrigued her, she could see many of the same characteristics of the Klaus she knew, but there were also something missing, something that the other one had obtained over a thousand years that had yet to take hold, "You may, Klaus."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, then Klaus spoke, "Would you like me to tie up your back for you? I can't imagine holding it up is all that enjoyable." Caroline thought about it for a minute but then nodded before turning around so her back was facing him, and tucked her hair over left shoulder, "Thank you. The dress is quite easy to get off by yourself but not get back on."

"So I have heard, my sister complains about such things as well." He answered, his fingers making quick work of the strings. She shuttered for a moment when his warm fingers first touched her bare skin and she hoped that he had not noticed, "You have a sister?"

"Rebekah, she is about your age. I could introduce you to her if you would like." He offered, taking away his hands from her dress and putting them at his sides.

"That would be kind of you. My sister and I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting much of the town yet." Caroline replied sweetly, not really looking forward to having to deal with Rebekah, but thinking it would be unavoidable, "It seems though they are curious about us but no one actually wants to take the chance and speak to us."

"I am not surprised, this village is full of cowards who pretend they are warriors." Klaus responded, his voice taking on a hint of the anger Caroline knew so well in his tone. His face softened though as he looked at her, "Though, I guess if no one else is interested in talking to you, just leaves more of you for me."

Caroline looked at him in amused shock, "We just meet, I have not yet decided if I ever want to see you after this conversation."

"You wound me love." Klaus replied with fake hurt, and then asked with a serious voice, "Have I done something to offend you?"

"Well, you did spy on me while I was bathing." She teased and gave him a flirty smile.

"You are more than welcome to spy on me anytime if that makes us even." He said and raised his eyebrows in a playful joke.

Caroline couldn't help but laugh at his voice and the face he made, the Klaus she knew would never do such a thing. She found herself captivated by his eyes, much like she was in the future though she would never admit it. She hadn't even noticed they had stopped walking until they were just standing there, looking into each other's eyes, "I think you would enjoy it too much for it to makes us even, wouldn't you agree?"

"I guess you could say that." He responded, his face closer to hers than it had been before, "But I am pretty sure you aren't as opposed as you claim to be." He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and was close enough for Caroline to feel his breath on her lips. Caroline knew where he was going with this and she didn't seem to want to stop it for a reason she would never admit aloud. She had always wanted to know what kissing Klaus was like. She had been most tempted when they had sat on that bench the day after the ball. He had seemed so genuine and charming and he said the most faltering things. Her mind had always stopped her before, thoughts of Tyler would usually flood her mind when situations like this happened, but not now. Not with this Klaus, a charming, sincere, not yet a murderer Klaus. His lips meet hers softly, as if testing to see what her resistance would be, and he deepened it as he realized she wasn't fighting him.

* * *

 

Elena didn't know what to with herself now that she was done with her chores for the day and Caroline had gone off to hunt. Elena was a little curious as to what Caroline would find to eat, knowing she was never much one for the animal blood diet, but she also knew that Stefan had taught her a few things.

"Ayanna, would you be alright with me walking around the village? I would like to see a bit more of it." Elena asked the witch who was currently her host. Elena was doing her best to remain on the witch's good side, especially with Caroline making very little effort on that front.

"I guess it is alright as long as you do not leave the village boundaries. Though your friend did not listen to my advice it would seem." She consented and scolded at the same time. It had taken Elena nearly an hour to finally convince Ayanna that Caroline needed to go off into the woods by herself, and that it would not be the only time Caroline would do it either.

Elena had a strong feeling that Ayanna did not trust Caroline as much as she did herself. "Thank you, I promise I will not leave the village."

Elena slowly made her way through the village, taking in the many similar houses or what counted as one in this time. Everyone would stop and look at her, but no one made any move to come up and talk to her. _Brave enough to stare but not brave enough to take a chance on the new girl_ , Elena thought. A large white tree at the village edge caught her eye and she changed her direction to walk closer, wondering if this was the only tree that could kill an Original. At the base of the tree, playing with some of the flowers, was a blonde girl in tears. Elena recognized her immediately and almost walked away, but something about the way Rebekah looked stopped her. Elena silently cursed her need to comfort people who looked troubled while she walked closer to the girl, "Are you alright?"

Rebekah jumped in surprise at her voice and quickly wiped away the tears that covered her face before looking up at Elena, "I am fine." She scanned Elena critically before saying, "You are one of the new girls."

"I'm Elena." She offered and sat down next to Rebekah.

"Rebekah," She replied, "Why are you here?"

"I saw you upset and just wanted to make sure you were alright." Elena responded picking up the purple flower at her feet, and was surprised as she recognized it as vervain.

"That isn't what I meant." Rebekah said, her reply barely above a whisper, "Why would you care about a complete stranger?"

"Just in my nature I guess." She supplied, and then joked, "My sister once told me I could impersonate a saint if I wanted."

"Are you and your sister close?" Rebekah asked, her tears completely gone now but Elena could hear a bit of longing in her voice.

"Yes, but that doesn't stop us from fighting every now and then. Do you have any siblings?" Elena asked, trying to keep the conversation with a human Rebekah going, surprised at how different this girl was from the one she knew. There was no confidence, no attitude, no sense of privilege. This Rebekah was simply a troubled, lonely young woman.

"Five brothers, no sisters." She answered, and twirled a flower between her fingers, "It can be difficult being the only girl in a large family."

"That I can believe." Elena commented, and then asked, sympathy clear in her voice, "Is there no one in the village you are close to?"

"No, they don't want anything to do with me, I am too...strange. Though Tatia doesn't seem to have any problems attracting attention and enjoys messing with my brothers." Rebekah answered and Elena could hear the spite in her voice, a sound she knew very well in the future. Rebekah looked up and past Elena for a moment and whispered, "Speak of the devil and she will appear."

* * *

Rebekah was happy to be back in her own home, spending the day with the Salvatores and their gang of humans had slowly been driving her insane. She had thought many times of snapping some necks for a little quiet, she was also sure Nik had been on the verge as well. Rebekah flopped onto the couch, and clutched a pillow to her chest before looking at her brother carefully, she could see he was having trouble processing all of the new information running through his head. She remembered watching him and Caroline together when they were human, and how she tried so hard to help them when they became vampires, how she had tried to help him understand his new state of being, "Nik, how are you handling things?"

"How do you think Rebekah?" He snapped, then noticed the emotions play on her face and sighed, grabbing a large, strong drink before saying, "Sorry, it is just very strange to suddenly have such strong emotions coursing through my body."

"Don't forget that I have the same problem. I might not have been in love with Caroline, but her and Elena had practically been sisters to me. I clearly remember thinking about how much I actually wanted them to be my sisters, so we could spend the rest of our lives together." Rebekah said, playing with the fringe of the pillow she was holding, "It is so strange to have loved them so much and for me to also hate them at the same time. I remember all the feelings I had for them in the past and it conflicts very much with the feelings I currently hold, held, for them. It is like fighting a war within myself, Nik. How could they have truly been my friends knowing all the things I had done, or would do, to them?"

"Stop, stop right now." Klaus commanded, sitting down next to her, his voice was thick and rough but laced with pure sincerity, "They were truly your friends, your sisters. Caroline and Elena did not trick you into caring about them, they meant every word they ever said to you. Do not doubt their sincerity. I cannot promise that everything will be as it was when they return but I am sure they will not abandon you."

"You can't be sure of that Nik." Rebekah snapped at him, and shot up from the couch, "How sure are you that Caroline will leave behind her friends, her family, her boyfriend to be with you?" Rebekah asked him, half from spite and half wanting to know the answer.

"She told me." He replied quietly, taking half of his drink into his mouth, "The last thing she ever said to me was 'No matter what Nik, as long as you still want me, I will always be yours.' I have to keep faith in that Bekah. With all these new feelings running around in my body I cannot go back to being the man I have been for the last ten centuries. But I am also not sure I can be the man I used to be either, not without her, maybe not even with her. I do know though now that I have had her, I will not, cannot live without her." His voice was forceful and full of that power that had kept him alive for a thousand years.

"What about everyone else Nik?" She inquired, her voice still firm and angry, "Stefan, Damon, Bonnie, Tyler, all of that little gang of misfits. They will demand things of her that were not problems in the past, they will demand her loyalty. They still hate us Nik, they always will as long as…"

"As long as I threaten Elena because I need her blood to make my hybrids. Do you really think that creating an army is what I still desire?" Klaus questioned her, looking at her face carefully, "Maybe it was yesterday, but I can honestly say that I am a changed man overnight."

"Of course I don't. You began to love Elena as well I think Nik, I believe you had started to see her as a sister you needed to protect. Am I wrong?" Rebekah asked, going to grab a strong drink of her own.

"No, you are not. Which is why I am starting to feel extreme levels of guilt over everything I have ever done to her in my quest for power, in my desire for an army." Klaus answered, taking a long drink himself, "I do not like feeling guilty Rebekah. And they will never believe we have changed because they cannot understand what has happened."

"I do not disagree." Rebekah replied, "But we will have to prove to them somehow that we have. I am not ready to get Caroline and Elena back into my life just to lose them again. And I highly doubt they will get back to Mystic Falls and be willing to leave right away."

"No, they will not." Klaus agreed, and downed the rest of his drink, "If we are sure we need to prove ourselves to this group of outcasts, how do we do it?"

"I have no idea Nik." Rebekah answered honestly and in some ways wished she was still asleep in her box, at least life was simple in there.


	4. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline gets carried away; Elijah shares his opinions

Caroline knew what she should do, she should pull away and not let him to continue to kiss her, but she couldn't do it. She should not be letting a man she just met a few hours ago, at least in his mind, push her up against a large tree and deepen the kiss. She also knew that her hands should be pushing him away not curling into his long hair and pulling him closer, encouraging him to continue. The only thing she seemed willing to do was kiss him back.

His lips left hers and starting leaving little kisses along her neck, slowly traveling lower until reaching the top of her dress. She cupped his face and brought his lips back to her own. She was slightly disappointed that after a few minutes he pulled away, his chest heaving heavily, before she remembered that this Klaus was human, and still needed air. As they just stood there, catching their breath, all the guilt and consequences of what she had just done swamped her mind. She had just had an amazing moment with Klaus, it was much more intense than anything she had ever experienced before. And that was not right, she shouldn't be having wonderful, passionate make-out sessions with Klaus, whether in the future or her current present. Caroline suddenly felt very self-conscious of herself, realizing that she was a floozy and had turned against all of the things she had promised she would change about herself when she became a vampire.

Her thoughts were interrupted though when he lent in and kissed her again, he seemed to have much more confidence this time. She felt all of her insecurities fade away as he moved his lips against hers. His one arm wrapped itself around her waist bringing her body closer to him and the other was laced into her hair. Both her own hands found their way back into his hair, keeping his head close to her own. His lips started kissing her neck again and she let out a whispered moan, "Klaus…"

He stopped and looked her straight in the eyes, blue meeting blue, "You are so beautiful."

Caroline smiled at the compliment and kissed him sweetly, not allowing the same heated passion to take over her again, this needed to stop, she needed to time to think, "I think…", She kissed him softly again, loving the feel of his lips on hers, and hating that she loved it, "That we are getting a little carried away. We did just meet."

His face showed that he understood her meaning, she wasn't rejecting him completely, just telling him to slow down, "You are right. I am not sure what came over me. I hope that I have not offended you?"

Caroline laughed lightly at him, and rubbed a hand over his cheek, "As long as I have not offended you. I promise that I don't usually going around kissing random men in the woods."

He smirked at her again, "I would hope not, I would hate to have to resort to violence to defend your honor. I do not conform to this action much myself." He admitted, making no move to remove himself for her personal space.

"Good because I would hate to have to defend your honor." She joked, and leaned in to him for a kiss, which he consented to.

"You are a strange woman Caroline and I look forward to getting to know you better." He said when their lips separated and brought one of her hands to his lips, giving it a gentle kiss.

Caroline was shocked at his words but she smiled, "And I you Klaus. We should get back before my sister and Ayanna starts to worry."

"Of course my lady." He replied and stepped away from her, giving her the space to remove herself from the tree. He kept a firm hold on her hand as they walked, and Caroline enjoyed the feeling, much to her inner her emotional turmoil that was swamping her mind, his sudden question caught her by surprise, "What were you doing so far from the village by yourself?"

"Hmm…I just needed some space. Every moment since we have gotten here my sister and I have been together. Sometimes it is just nice to be alone." She answered, it wasn't a complete lie but there was no way she could tell him the truth. _I bet he would run away so fast if I told him I was out here killing a deer for its blood because I am monster from the future_ , she thought, and had to suppress a laugh.

"I can understand the need for space." He responded, looking wistfully off into the distance, and then adding a smirk to his face asked, "And the swim?"

"I fell and decided it was best to clean the dirt off my dress before returning home. The swim itself was just a passing fancy." She replied, giving him a smirk of her own, "Turned out to be a good idea I think."

"Oh, I definitely think so." He assured her, squeezing her hand a little tighter and giving her a look similar to the one he had on the bench. And she felt her stomach flutter, not what she wanted it to do that all. They reached the edge of the village and Klaus released her hand, she knew the scandal that would happen if they entered the village holding hands. Such things were not acceptable in this time period, but she was pretty sure she couldn't go around holding his hand in her own period without getting nasty looks either.

Caroline spotted Elena standing near a large white tree talking with a blonde woman whose back was to Caroline so she couldn't see the face, "Elena!" She called and walked over to her friend, Klaus following close behind, maybe a bit too close.

* * *

 

Elena was interested in Rebekah's words and slowly turned to look over her shoulder. She was unable to prevent the gasp that escaped her lips when she saw Elijah talking with a woman that looked like a slightly older version of herself, when she actually looked like herself, "That is Tatia I am assuming?"

"Yes," Rebekah answered coldly, "With my older brother Elijah. The fool, I don't understand what he and Nik find so interesting about the woman." Elena simply nodded and followed Rebekah to her feet when she noticed that Elijah and Tatia were headed in their direction. The sigh of discontent Rebekah allowed was soon replaced by a pleasant smile, before she greeted them, "Dear brother. Tatia."

"Good evening Rebekah." Elijah answered, looking over Elena with curiosity, "Who is your friend?"

"Elijah, Tatia, this is Elena." Rebekah introduced and Elena smiled at them, though her eyes could not hide some suspicion when she looked at Tatia.

The future Elijah had told Elena about her, and Elena wasn't about to trust her for a second, she had sounded too much like Katherine for her liking. "It is my pleasure to meet you." Elena responded holding out her hand to Elijah, who bent and kissed it, and Elena couldn't help that blush that formed on her cheeks. She had had a soft spot for Elijah for a while now, though she would probably never admit how deep those feelings actually went, she need to focus all her romantic attentions on Stefan and Damon.

"Tell me Elena, where are you from exactly?" Tatia asked, inching a little closer to Elijah, almost as if she was staking a claim without touching him.

Elena felt Rebekah tense next to her at Tatia's movement, but she answered using the lie that had been created for them, "England. Our mother died and my father thought it would be safer for my sister and I to be here. Ayanna was a dear friend of my mother, or so we were told. We had never meet her before a few days ago."

Tatia looked her over carefully, almost as if she was sizing up a piece of meat, before answering, her voice sweet, and innocent, "Your accent is not one I have heard before, that is only reason I asked."

"Oh, is it? I had not known, it is very common in my village back home." She answered, putting on her sweetest smile. Elena noticed Elijah crack a small smile at her tone that was just as sweet as Tatia's had just been.

"Well, if you will excuse us. Elijah and I have some business to attend to." Tatia said and indicated for Elijah to start to follow her.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Elena. I hope this will not be out last encounter." Elijah replied and inclined his head before running to catch up with a departing Tatia.

"I like your brother, but that woman is not someone I ever wish to interact with again." Elena told Rebekah, but knowing her luck she doubted her wish would come true.

"Really?" Rebekah asked, her voice full of shock as she looked at Elena with some sort of new admiration.

"Yeah, she reminds of this girl I know back home." Elena started to explain, "Besides, the way she looked at me…"

"Elena!" A voice called, causing both girls to turn toward it.

"Caroline, where have you…" Elena stuttered when she realized Caroline was with Klaus, and he was hovering much closer to her than Elena would have ever been comfortable with, but she recovered quickly, "Where have you been? Why are you wet?" She added when she noticed the dampness of her hair and dress.

"I went for a swim, sorry I was gone so long, I lost track of the time." Caroline answered, and did her best to hide her own surprise when the woman turned around and it was Rebekah looking back at her, "Who is your friend?"

"Actually love, this is my sister Rebekah." Klaus answered, smiling sideways at his sister, "Small world I would say."

"Yes, very." Elena answered, trying her best to look at Klaus with interest, not disgust, "I'm Elena, Caroline's sister."

"Klaus." He answered and kissed Elena's outstretched hand, as was the current custom it seemed.

"Hi, I'm Caroline." Caroline said, introducing herself to Rebekah.

"Pleasure." Rebekah replied, looking over Caroline's appearance with veiled curiosity, "How did you meet Nik?"

"Oh, I….he came across me while I was out for a swim." She decided to answer honestly, and Caroline kept a content smile on her face the entire time, "He was nice enough to offer to walk me back to the village."

Elena did her best to hide her suspicions of what exactly that walk entailed because Caroline's dress was much dirtier than it had been and her hair was all a mess, but that could be from the swim she supposed. Klaus looked a little messy as well, but then again, Elena had no idea what he was supposed to look like in this time. Elena also did not like the look on Caroline's face, like she was guilty of something and didn't want Elena to know she had done something wrong, a look she had learned well over an entire life of friendship. So she just decided to get it out of Caroline later and said, "That was very nice of you Klaus."

"Always my pleasure to help a beautiful woman find her way home." He replied, his charming smile firmly on his face as he looked at Caroline, who couldn't help but blush, "Since we are being all inquisitive today, how did you happen across my sister Elena?"

"Oh I was just going through a walk in the village. Rebekah was kind enough to allow me to talk to her." Elena answered, protecting Rebekah's privacy.

"Yes, Elena was…" Rebekah started to say but was interrupted by a loud, angry voice that caused her and Klaus to visibly cringe. "Niklaus! Rebekah! What are you doing just standing around idly, I am sure you both have better things to be doing with your time." Mikael yelled, coming to join the four of them under the tree. The look he passed over Elena and Caroline made them want to run and hide, an unusual feeling for them both, "You two must be the new girls staying with Ayanna?"

"Yes sir." Caroline answered, standing up straighter and putting on her game face, she did not need to fear him in this time, she was a vampire and he was only human, "I am Caroline, this is my sister Elena."

"I would appreciate it if you two did not distract my children from their chores." Was all he answered and walked away, clearly expecting his children to follow him.

"Sorry about that love." Klaus apologized, "He can be tough. It was a pleasure to meet you both. I am sure we will run into each other all again." He assured them, kissing Caroline's hand in a goodbye gesture and nodding at Elena before running off in the direction Mikael had gone.

"Yes, I would very much like to get you know you both better." Rebekah replied, "Maybe I can find some free time tomorrow and we can do something then. Goodbye."

"Bye Rebekah. We are looking forward to it." Elena assured her, now over her general shock at seeing both Klaus and Mikael.

"This sure has been an interesting day." Caroline said has Rebekah walked away, "Should we get back before Ayanna starts to worry?"

"That would probably be a good idea." Elena replied, and as they walked she couldn't help but think of everything that had happened this afternoon. She had agreed to try to be friends with Rebekah, ran into a human Klaus, who still seemed to have a thing for Caroline, meet the human Elijah, and the most interesting development, meet the doppelganger that had ruined her life, Tatia. The house was empty when they arrived, "Ayanna must be out." Elena stated, and sat down in their bed area, which consisted of some blankets over piles of hay, across the house from Ayanna's, "You would not believe who I ran into today, besides Rebekah."

"Oh, do tell." Caroline asked as she changed out of her dirty dress into her only other dress.

"Tatia. The original doppelganger." Elena said and waited for Caroline to sit down next to her, "I was talking with Rebekah and then she just showed up, Elijah was with her."

"Well, that isn't surprising is it? We know that both Elijah and Klaus had a thing for her." Caroline supplied, while Elena did up her strings, and then added, "Though I doubt Klaus likes her as much Elijah led you to believe."

"Why would you say that?" Elena asked, her eyes narrowing on her friend, who had now turned around.

Caroline could feel herself blush, and wished that had been something that disappeared with becoming a vampire, and answered coyly, "No reason."

"Caroline, what did you do?" Elena demanded, her voice deep and commanding.

"I…I might have…made out with him in the woods." She answered shyly, knowing she was never good at hiding things from Elena, and hung her head in her hands.

"You what?" Elena exclaimed, "What about Tyler?"

"Tyler has been gone for months Elena." Caroline defended quickly but then added, "I don't know okay. I wasn't thinking. It just kind of happened. He was being so sweet and charming and….and it isn't like he is evil personified, yet."

"Do you hear yourself right now?" Elena questioned, not believing her ears. Caroline was defending kissing the man reasonable for all of their problems and she wasn't even denying she enjoyed it.

"I know very much what I did Elena." Caroline defended herself, her voice rising with her anger, "But you know what, I didn't cheat. Tyler and I have been over for a while now and though I still love him, he can't expect me to wait forever for him but I also don't want to hurt him. And why not have some have fun while we are stuck in the past? If Ayanna is right and she can make the Originals forget all about us, who is it going to hurt? We will be the only ones who know." Caroline smirked triumphantly, but her face didn't remain at its level of confidence.

"You don't feel any guilt over this?" Elena asked quietly.

"I didn't say that." Caroline replied, her voice back to normal, "But, it happened, and I can't change that know. But you aren't wrong either, I will do my best to avoid getting myself into situations like that again. Besides, human Klaus is very different from hybrid Klaus, I think you would be surprised by him."

"Maybe not as much as you think. Human Rebekah was not much like vampire Rebekah either. I actually feel like without those thousand years of being trapped with her brothers, we could really be friends with her." Elena answered honestly, thinking back to the emotions she could see on Rebekah's face, the girl had yet to learn to mask her feelings.

"How about this," Caroline started, "We give the Originals a fresh start. Everything that we know about them, let's forget about it. We will get to know them without any expectations about how they should act. We will just let the relationships unfold naturally, like they would if we were really from this period and we planned on spending the rest of our lives here."

"Do you really think you can look past everything that the Originals have done to us?" Elena questioned, thinking hard on it herself.

"I don't know, but I think it is the only way we can possibly survive our time here with our sanity still intact." Caroline replied, her blue eyes locking with Elena's brown ones, "So what do you say?"

"I don't really see any other choice." Elena responded, and gave Caroline a small smile, "Let's be friends with the Originals."

* * *

 

Elijah looked at the mansion for a minute, thinking about how different it was now and the last time he truly lived in Mystic Falls. Before he had lived in a large, but simple one story home, and now he lived in a multiple level mansion. It was a very strange thing to think about, but he had thinking almost non-stop about the past in the last day, ever since his memories had been unlocked. After sorting through his memories it wasn't hard for to realize that he was in love with Elena, she had taken his heart and he had let her. Even before the memories had returned he had a fondness for Elena that was more than just friendship, though he would never admit those feelings aloud. Elena was too absorbed in her Salvatore brother drama for him to ever try and confuse her further with his feelings. But now, remembering her from the past, remembering the looks she would give him, and the feelings they shared, he wondered if maybe she was ready now. Elijah realized though he wouldn't be able to truly know that until Elena returned to the now and sorted out everything with the Salvatores. He got out of the car and slowly walked up to mansion, making sure no emotion was displayed over his face as he approached the large doors.

"You made good time brother." Klaus said when Elijah opened the door, he was standing on the extravagant stairway.

"I was well motivated," Elijah responded and wandered into the living room, "Has Bonnie made any progress?"

"Rebekah is over at the Salvatore house now, they are working on collecting the right ingredients for the spell." Klaus explained, following his brother.

"I am surprised you are not there with them, making sure everything is done correctly." Elijah commented, sitting gracefully in a chair near the fireplace.

Klaus sat in the chair across from him, "I was for awhile, but Damon was just so frustrating, another minute with that idiot and I would have killed him, for good. And I know that neither Caroline or Elena would be very happy with me if I did."

"It is strange to hear you talk about caring about someone else's feelings." Elijah replied, watching his brother carefully.

"Not as strange as actually caring, I spent centuries putting my needs first, and now, I feel the need to care about others. My mind is currently a very confusing place to be. How are you handling everything?" Klaus asked, eying his brother with much interest.

"I had a...fondness for Elena before all of this, it was not a secret." Elijah tried to get away with as an explanation.

"I was well aware." Klaus responded, his voice sort, "But I am sure new feelings are present now as well. I mean, you started paying more attention to Elena than you did to Tatia. Only a strong emotion connection could have led you astray."

"Caroline was able to lead you astray easy enough." Elijah retorted, remembering how quickly the blonde had stolen his brother's affections.

"I was never truly in love with Tatia, I realized that centuries ago. But, it was apparently something I had realized before ever becoming a vampire. I think that I was only ever really interested in Tatia because you were, and I liked to compete with you. Plus, it wasn't as if she was refusing my advances." Klaus informed his brother, "Caroline just came across me at the perfect time and happened to be the perfect woman to match."

"And is she still? You are a very different man than you were." Elijah asked, honestly wondering at his brother's state of mind.

"She is, she will always be perfect. Besides, she knew who I would become, what pains I would cause her, and still, she gave me a chance. Can you ask for anything else from anyone?" Klaus questioned his brother.

"No, you cannot." Elijah answered and looked into the burning fire, recalling a time when such a flame was all that kept the darkness away.

"Do you plan on actually acting on your feelings when Elena returns Elijah?" Klaus asked suddenly, his voice full of curiosity, "You actually have a fighting chance in this time, you are not going up against ghosts, but flesh and blood."

"I will not fight with Damon and Stefan for Elena. Only Elena can chose who she wants to be with. I am also not so sure I am even in the running for her heart Niklaus." Elijah replied, looking back to his brother, "Why would you think I would be?"

Klaus let out a small, amused chuckle, "I may not be an expert on women's emotions, but I am also not an idiot. Elena, especially towards the end, was showing you a great deal of attention, and I do not think it was all purely in friendship." Elijah's mind instantly flashed to the last moment he and Elena spent alone, her actions had surely not been anything to think she felt nothing towards him, but still, "Like I said, only Elena can choose, and for her to do that, we must get her and Caroline back to the correct time. I think I will go and see if I can be assistance at the Salvatore's, or at the very least give Rebekah a break."

"I am sure Bekah would be appreciative of the gesture." Klaus said and turned to do his own staring contest with the fire.

Elijah slowly exited the house, wondering at the conversation he had just had with his brother. He and Klaus had always been close, even as children and that had not changed until nearly half of their lifetime, but Elijah could not remember a time when his brother had ever been so honest and forthcoming with his emotions. Mikael had made Klaus feel alone and unworthy, making him a very self contained person, and slow to trust. He marveled at how eight months of memories with two girls could change their lives so completely. Elijah could see the differences that had taken a hold of his younger brother and was sure some similar changes had befallen Rebekah. Their lives would truly be different from this moment on and when the girls returned, he was sure it was only going to become even more challenging. Bonnie's misplaced spell had changed all of their lives, even if not everyone had realized it yet.


	5. Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More insights into the past

"Hulling this stuff around all the time really makes you appreciate modern conveniences more doesn't it?" Elena commented, panting heavily as they carried the water buckets from the well to the house.

"We'll get used to it I'm sure. We have only been here a week." Caroline responded, laughing at the strain in Elena's voice. Her vampire strength gave her an edge to manual labor that Elena didn't get to have, but she too found the water carrying chore a tiring one, "Think about it this way, you'll finally have some upper body strength."

"Thanks, just what I always wanted." Elena teased, laughing before nearly dropping her bucket on the ground. She saved it, but barely, and set it carefully on the ground instead, "I bet there are easier ways." She sighed and wiped the sweat of her brow with her sleeve.

"There is, plumping, but that won't be invented for a few hundred years yet, so we will just have to deal." Caroline replied, setting her own two buckets down next to Elena's one.

"Should you really be carrying two? It might seem a little odd, you don't look like a woman with a lot of strength." Elena pointed out.

"Actually, I saw a girl smaller than me carrying two larger buckets than this yesterday. So I think you are the one that stands out as odd." Caroline countered.

"Elena! Caroline!" A voice called to them, causing both girls to turn around.

"Rebekah, how are you?" Elena said politely as the blond came up to them.

"Great, I finished all of my chores early and wondered if you two were up to spending some time together, but I can see I have interrupted your own chores." She said quickly, the nerves evident in her voice and posture.

"This is actually the last one. We just have to get these buckets up to the house, but Elena is finding the chore a bet difficult." Caroline teased, smiling the entire time.

"Oh, well, let me help you." Rebekah said and lifted Elena's bucket without any effort. Caroline lifted both of hers and the girls started walking before Elena could say a word in objection.

"Did you have anything in mind you wanted to do Rebekah?" Caroline asked as they stowed the water buckets.

"Well…no, not really." Rebekah responded quietly, obviously not sure how to proceed in this situation.

"I do, I would like to sit and not move for a while, my muscles are killing me." Elena replied and walked over to the outdoor fire pit and sat against one of the log seats.

Caroline laughed but followed her friend and repeated the sitting motion, "Please, sit Rebekah. We can just talk and get to know each other better." Caroline insisted, surprised at how tentative and shy this Rebekah was. Very different than the girl she despised in the future. Rebekah slowly moved to sit next to them, careful with her movements, as if afraid they would suddenly jump and run away, like their kindness was some kind of joke.

After a few moments of silence, not completely uncomfortable, Elena decided to break the ice, "So, Rebekah, have you and your family always lived here?"

"My entire life yes. They moved here after my eldest brother died of disease in the Old World." Rebekah shared, though not giving too many great details, "What is it like? I have always wondered."

Caroline and Elena both blanked for a minute before Caroline answered with the question, "What is it you are most curious about?"

"I don't know, what is your family like?" Rebekah choose to ask, though that really didn't have anything to do with original question. "We have a younger brother who stayed behind with our father. He sent us here because our mother died from a plague and felt we would be better protected here until it dies out." Elena supplied, going with the backstory they had created with Ayanna and adding the brother because she was sure she would slip up and mention Jeremy at some point.

"Similar to the reason my family is here then." Rebekah commented, and then her face fell, "Only until it dies out? Does that not mean you will stay here for very long?"

Caroline took that answer, "We do not know how long we are, but it will not be forever, we have lives to return to back home."

"I am sure." Rebekah replied, and then asked, "Are you both promised back home?"

Caroline looked to Elena to answer that one but Elena looked just as confused, so Caroline answered, "We have very complicated lives back home and men are a large part of the complications."

"I did not mean to pry." Rebekah said, noticing the hesitation in Caroline's answer and wanting to make sure she did not insult her potential new friends.

"You are just asking the natural questions to know us better." Elena said, recovering, "Are you not promised Rebekah?"

"No, the men here do not seem to want much to do with me, I think they worry that I will harm them." Rebekah answered, her voice and eyes filled with sadness and regret.

"Why would they worry about that?" Elena questioned, sharing a brief look of confusion with Caroline.

"I…it is complicated." Rebekah stuttered, than continued with, "But I am sure you will find out from village gossip anyway. My mother and I are witches. Even though a majority of the men in this town are werewolves, they are still afraid to court me."

"Ayanna told us there were other witches besides her in town, we just had no idea about you and your mother. She had also told us about the werewolves." Caroline said, glad she didn't have to hide her shock at Rebekah's declaration, "You do not need to worry about it scaring us off."

They saw Rebekah's face and body visibly relax, "So, what are your boy troubles? Maybe I can give you some outside perspective."

"We don't want to bother you with our stupid drama." Caroline said, trying to evade but doubting Rebekah would let her, at least the old Rebekah wouldn't have let her.

"It is no trouble. It will be a nice distraction from my own. Please, what are friends for other than to share in your problems?" Rebekah suggested, her smile full of hope but a fear of rejection was in her eyes.

Caroline looked at Elena, who she could see was deep in thought at the prospect, "Okay. Well, my…the man vying for my hand left town sometime before I came here and I am unsure what the future holds for us. If there even is a future for us anymore."

"Why did he leave you?" Rebekah questioned.

"He had…family issues to sort out." Caroline decided to say, "I told him that I did not think we should be together anymore sometime before he left, but I am not sure if I am really ready for it to be over yet or not."

"Are you not worried some other woman will come and win his heart? Or that another man might win yours?" Rebekah inquired, watching Caroline's response carefully, as was Elena.

"I was not worried about either, but you never know when something unexpected will happen to you. I guess really only time will tell the true answer to that question." Caroline answered carefully, not really sure what it was she was feeling anymore.

* * *

 

"Girls, I would like to speak to you about something." Ayanna told them on the morning of their first full moon, nearly two weeks into their stay. "Okay." Elena said, as her and Caroline sat in front of the witch, eating their breakfast. "Tonight is your first full moon here, and there are protocols that need to be followed to hide from the wolves." She started to explain, making sure both girls were paying close attention, "An hour before sunset you will travel into the underground caves with enough supplies for the night. Your afternoon chores for today will be much different than your normal daily activities. Esther has agreed to allow the two of you to stay the night with her family, so at midday you are to go to her home and follow her orders to the letter."

"Do you not journey to the caves Ayanna?" Caroline asked, wondering why they needed to spend the night with the Originals, her desperate need to avoid Klaus would be almost impossible in such a confined space.

"I have a special spell I need to cast tonight. It can only be done at the full moon. Do not worry, I have more than enough magic to be able to keep the wolves away as well." Ayanna assured them both.

"If you are sure." Elena said, taking a side glance at Caroline who was doing her best to keep any emotion from her face, "We will make sure to be at Esther's by midday."

"Listen to everything she says." Ayanna insisted, and then started to gather some herbs together, "Now, your morning chores still need to get done, go to work."

Caroline had never felt this nervous before, not even when waiting for them to announce the winner for Miss Mystic Falls. She walked between Elena and Rebekah as they walked through the caves, going to the section that was reserved for the Mikaelsons. When they arrived, Caroline half expected for the anti-vampire wall to stop her from entering, but there was no such wall yet, because there were no vampires, she assumed. Elena looked around, noticing the supplies that Kol, Henric and Finn were placing around the cave, "Are you sure we aren't too much trouble?"

"Non-sense, you two are more than welcome. The cave might be a little tighter than usual, but it will not be a problem, I assure you." Esther answered, following the girls into the cave.

Elijah and Klaus were close behind carrying a large pot of water between them. Mikael was cutting up some sort of meat and looked less than pleased that he had to feed two extra mouths. Caroline did her best to look anywhere but at Klaus. Unfortunately her eyes slipped to him while she was setting out her bedroll next to Rebekah's and he had that smirk on his face that she had seen so many times in the future. That smirk always told her one thing, he had a plan to try and win her affection. She did her best to repress the shutter that she felt as his eyes passed over her body. She had successfully avoided being alone with him for two weeks. Every once in awhile he would accompany Rebekah on her near daily visits, but she had always managed to evade his subtle attempts to lure her away. She was sure he wanted a repeat of their first meeting, but after a lot of thought, she knew that would be a bad idea. Caroline wasn't sure she was ready to give up on Tyler completely yet and she was even more unsure if she wanted to give Klaus a fair chance to win her heart.

"Caroline." Elena hissed, throwing Caroline from her thoughts and she turned to her friend, "Did you remember to eat before coming down here?"

Caroline felt herself pale and her face show shock, "No, I was so distracted! I completely forgot about it. What am I going to do? The Stefan diet requires everyday feeding, and surrounded by all these people? This is going to be a very long night." Caroline sighed and laid down on her makeshift bed, all the things had been brought in, there was no more leaving the cave. And now that it had been mentioned, she could hear the pumping of nine hearts, all coursing blood throughout their bodies. The sound was so alluring.

"I know you don't like to, but could you do some….careful feeding?" Elena questioned, looking around, making sure no one was close enough to hear their veiled whispers.

"On who Elena? There is only you and the Originals, and even if I compel them to forget, they will remember as soon as they turn, and that is not a fun thing to suddenly remember happening to you." Caroline asked, her voice a mixture of emotions.

Elena carefully made sure that no one was paying them close attention, and said, "Sit up and face the wall, so your back is to everyone else."

Caroline sat up but faced Elena, "What are you talking about?"

"Now is the best chance we are going to get. Turn around and face the wall." Elena commanded, and held up her wrist for Caroline.

Caroline finally caught on and got a horrified look, "I can't feed from you Elena!"

"You don't have a choice Caroline, it is better for you to do this now before the urge overcomes your control later. I trust you. Now, hurry before they are less distracted." Elena insisted, looking at Caroline expectantly before turning to watch the Mikaelsons at work fixing dinner for everyone and making sure everything was carefully in its right place. She winced slightly as she felt Caroline's fangs break the skin but quickly replaced it with her normal face.

Caroline felt such an euphoric feeling as she tasted Elena's blood, three weeks without human blood had been hard, and it had been even longer than that since she feed directly from the vein. She made sure to listen to Elena's heartbeat carefully, not wishing to harm her best friend. As she heard it start to change she pulled away from the siren blood, slightly pushing Elena's now bloody wrist away, not wishing to be further tempted. Elena, sensing Caroline's need to be alone for a moment, slowly got to her feet and walked over to the others, "Can I help with anything? I want to make sure I am not just a bother."

"Elena, dear, I already told you, it is really no problem." Esther assured her and then noticed the blood seeping through Elena's sleeve, "Are you alright?"

"Oh, just a little cut, nothing to worry about." Elena assured her, but the mother in Esther would not let it go and insisted at taking a look. "What a strange cut." Esther commented, looking at it closely with curiosity, Elijah and Rebekah hovering not far away, similar expressions on their face. Mikael and the other sons seemed far too concerned with their tasks to risk stopping to see.

"It is nothing really." Elena insisted and looked behind to her ask Caroline for some help with getting them away, but she was no longer sitting down, and as she looked around she didn't see her anywhere in the cave, and neither was Klaus.

"You are right, it doesn't seem too deep, just let me wrap it at least. The should stop the bleeding." Esther said, and Elena really didn't think she had much choice in the matter so she simply nodded in consent. All the while wondering where Caroline had wandered off to.

* * *

 

 Damon watched Rebekah closely, he did not trust her motives for a minute, especially since she refused to share what those motives were. He could figure out Klaus' easy enough, he wanted Elena back so he could have his hybrid blood source, and Caroline because he was creepily obsessed with her. But Rebekah, he had no clue, which was surprising as the girl was not exactly a difficult read. She was hovering over every little detail of the spell Bonnie was trying to learn, making sure that Bonnie did not miss a thing. As he glanced at his brother, he noticed a similar look of distrust and confusion on his features. Damon noticed the brush on irritation on Bonnie's face as Rebekah once again told her that she was doing something wrong, in a sudden show of support for the little witch Damon said, "And how do you know she is doing wrong, are you some sort of witchy magic expert now?"

Rebekah turned on him, anger in her eyes, "Don't pretend to know me so well Damon. We might have had a few nice times in the sack, but that doesn't mean you have a glaring insight into my soul."

"You have a soul. Color me surprised." Damon snarked back, glaring at the Original, who he could see was getting angrier and angrier.

"Seems I have arrived at the right moment." A voice said suddenly, and everyone in the room looked at Elijah.

"Oh yay, another Original." Damon said sarcastically and rolled his eyes before glancing at Stefan, "And please, just come in, no need to knock or anything."

Elijah ignored the older Salvatore and looked at his sister, "Niklaus and I thought you could use a break. I will help Bonnie with the spell."

"Good to see you brother. You probably just saved poor Damon's life." Rebekah commented before speeding off, but not before sending an evil glare in Damon's direction.

"What brings you here Elijah?" Stefan asked, focusing fully on the eldest Original.

"Like I said, to give Rebekah a break." Elijah responded, moving to sit on the couch next to Bonnie.

"Why are you all hounding us? We are perfectly capable of getting this right without your constant supervision." Bonnie snapped, looking up from the grimore on the table in front of her.

"From your track record, I would not say that with such faith Miss Bennett." Elijah commented, looking over the witch carefully, "It is you that got us into this little predicament in the first place."

Bonnie looked away from his gaze, feeling her cheeks blaze with embarrassment at the truth in his words.

"Why do all care so much that this spell succeeds?" Stefan asked, walking to stand in front of the Original. He was having as much trouble understanding their motives as Damon was, and he hated being in the dark like this, especially with beings as powerful as the Originals.

"Is it wrong for us to want to help Elena and Caroline? I have no ill will towards either of the girls." Elijah responded demurely. Actually pausing to think if he had even had any interactions with the Blond vampire that captured his brother's heart and that he owed his life too in this time period.

"You have a thing for Elena, don't you Elijah?" Damon asked, his voice snarky again, "I have always thought you have. But she wouldn't give you the time of day."

"I think you shouldn't talk about things you don't understand Damon." Elijah replied, his voice angrier than they had ever heard it, and deciding to take a lower road than he usually would added, "And Elena seems to have as much fondness for me, as I do for her."

Damon's face twitched but Stefan stopped him from doing anything stupid, like attacking the smug Original sitting in front of them. "What exactly happened in the past Elijah, you all seem almost desperate to get Elena and Caroline back? Afraid that they will change you too much?" Stefan asked, finally releasing Damon, only to watch his brother stomp out of the room. Grumbling about unkillable, control freaky, Originals.

"They already have Stefan, you just haven't seen it yet." Elijah answered stoically and after hearing a frustrated sigh from Bonnie, said, "Do you have any questions Bonnie?"

"One, the spell needs the blood of the travelers, how am I supposed to get that when they are in the past?" Bonnie questioned, sighing with discontent at the complexity of this spell. And not really surprised it went wrong the first time, she had been way to under prepared.

"Ayanna already solved that problem. There are two spelled jars hidden in our cave that contains their blood. You will just need to go and retrieve them sometime before the ceremony." Elijah explained, watching as Stefan's face was swamped with different emotions, and answered the not uttered question, "My siblings and I were very involved in the stages of the spell leading up to the moment of casting."

"Why were you so involved? Were they not worried about changing the past by interacting with you?" Stefan asked, the question had been on his mind ever since the first day, when Klaus had mentioned hidden memories.

"Ayanna solved that problem, after the spell that sent them back here to the future was conducted, she cast a spell that would wipe our memories of Elena and Caroline until Bonnie cast the same spell to send them back in time. All magic conducted by a bloodline carries the same signature, making the linking of the memory spell with the time travel spell a simple task for a powerful such as Ayanna to conduct." Elijah explained and decided to help himself to some of the ample alcohol available at the Salvatore boarding house, "Does that answer your question to your satisfaction Stefan?"

"For now." Stefan responded, watching Elijah movements carefully.

Bonnie on the other hand seemed very intrigued by Elijah's words, "I would like a better explanation of this connection you are talking about, if you don't mind."

Elijah sighed but not out of annoyance, more tiredness, "You should really talk to Rebekah about this, she understands magic more than I do."

"Why is that?" Stefan asked, his interest piqued at the comment. There were many things about Rebekah he found curious, and he was sure this would just had to that list.

"Rebekah was a witch in training when we were human." Elijah answered, taking a seat in one of the many chairs scattered around the room, "Did none of you ever think that one of us would have been a witch? Magic is hereditary and my mother had six children, the odds were in the favor of at least one of us having some power." Stefan and Bonnie shared a look that Elijah took to mean that it never once crossed any of their minds. He scoffed at the closed minds of those he was forced to surround himself with and wished that this could be done in a much more timely manner. The sooner that the girls were returned to them, the better they would all be.


	6. The Cave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus catches up with Caroline; Kol has some opinions of his own

Caroline just needed some space, Elena's blood was still strong in her senses, so she slowly slipped out of the large cave and walked down the tunnel for a few minutes until she could breathe without smelling blood. She noticed a small cave to her left, probably only large enough for three people to stand in comfortably. Caroline sat against the far wall, watching the entrance, knowing that eventually they would notice she was missing and come to find her. She took some deep calming breaths, just letting the silence and darkness engulf her and her mind be blank for a few minutes. She didn't want to think about anything, not Elena, not Klaus, not Tyler, no one and nothing. The rapidly approaching footsteps alerted her to presence of someone, she assumed it would be Elena but her eyes widen in shock as the form in the doorway was clearly not Elena.

"You really shouldn't wander off alone love, especially not on a full moon night. You never know when something dangerous can pop up." He said and moved to sit down next to her in the pitch black cave.

Caroline was surprised he could move so easily in the darkness, she could because of her vampire eyesight, but he was just a human with a dormant werewolf gene. "Why did you follow me Klaus?" She chose to ask.

"You have been avoiding me, I figured this was the perfect time to figure out why." He replied and she could hear the smirk in his tone.

"I have my reasons." She answered and then added, "You can leave now, I really just want to be alone for a while."

"I would but you did not really give me an answer. I think I will just sit here with you until you decide you want to give me the real reason." He replied smugly and relaxed further against the wall, his hand locating one of hers and starting rubbing little circles over the top of it.

Caroline snatched her hand back, though probably not as fast as she should have, "You really want to know?"

"Yes love, I do." He responded and she felt his eyes turn on her.

"I am ashamed of what happened between us in the woods. It was unbecoming of me and rather embarrassing. Especially for someone in my position." She informed him, narrowing her eyes to watch his features, which were strangely void of surprise.

"And what position might that be?" He asked, his voice a little harsher and less playful than before.

"I am…was…could be spoken for, and I would rather not do anything to jeopardize that possible future for a fling here and now. Elena and I will not be living the rest of our lives here, eventually, we will go home, and we will be nothing more than a passing memory for you, for all of you." Caroline explained, and watched him carefully as he took in her words.

"Are you sure he has the same considerations for you?" Klaus asked, looking stoically off into the distance, a look she had never seen on him before.

"No, but I…"

"You are afraid Caroline. Afraid of what you felt when we kissed because I would find it hard to believe it was not the same thing that I felt." Klaus interrupted and grabbed her hand again, this time holding onto it when she tried to pull away, "You are afraid of what you are feeling now. That is why you have been avoiding me, why you are trying to get rid of me now with some story of an awaiting love."

"I'm not afraid." She lied, her voice more breathless than she wanted it to be.

"Then why are you avoiding me?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper, she could feel his breath on her ear. Caroline didn't know how to answer, because truthfully she was afraid of how he made her feel. And now, in these close quarters, all she could smell was him, he was invading her every sense and it made her want him. Her thirst for blood had been filled thanks to Elena, her wants for Klaus were something entirely different. She felt his lips brush her cheek as he whispered, "Isn't it better to seek forgiveness than ask permission anyway love? No one needs to know what happens here and now. I dare you to give it a chance."

Caroline felt all her inhibitions fade at his words, and turned, capturing his lips with hers in a passionate fashion. His hands found her hips and lifted her up, causing her to straddle his hips. This caused her dress to rid up, revealing her long legs up to mid-thigh, though Klaus could not see them. He could feel them though, his left hand was playing gently with the bare skin while his right was pressing against her back, forcing her body to his. Caroline's own hands were busy folding themselves in his hair and cupping his face, keeping their lips in near constant contact. Klaus pulled away slightly and then leaned in to kiss her exposed neck, Caroline arched her head back to give him better access, moaning from the pleasure his lips were giving her. Klaus hand suddenly left her leg to grip the back of her neck and bring their lips back together. Caroline didn't have time to think of the guilt she should be feeling, she didn't have time to think of anything than the pleasure he was elicting from her and he hadn't even touched any sensitive areas.

"Nik, where are you? I do not enjoy being sent on these stupid errands to find you. And you should know better, Father is not going to be happy." A distinctly male voice queried from somewhere outside of their cave.

Klaus groaned as he could hear the footsteps that belonged with the voice approaching, "Stupid little brothers. Always getting in the way." He muttered and stole a quick kiss before Caroline stood up from his lap, "I am down here Kol! Just go back, I will be there shortly."

"Are you alone Nik? Because it seems that little Caroline as wandered off as well, you wouldn't want to start any rumors now would you?" Kol teased, and she could tell he was still getting closer, not going back like he was told.

Klaus thought for a moment, but his which mind gave him an answer, "Caroline just wanted a short reprieve from our family but got turned around. Luckily, I was able to find her before she stumbled around all night."

"Sure Nik." Kol commented, and Caroline could picture his smug face in her mind, "If that is what you say."Caroline noted that he had finally started walking away, "Just don't be too much longer, you know how Father gets." She noticed that this last bit was said with a hint of fearful warning.

"We are on our way." He yelled back before turning to her, "Ready to return love?"

"Yes. We should not keep anyone waiting." She replied, allowing her confidence to overwhelm the guilt she was sure she would feel tonight. They walked in silence for the brief return to the family cave but it was comfortable and strangely not nearly as awkward as she feared it would be. There were so many things that were comfortable around Klaus, and she found that thought more unsettling than anything else she had learned in the last month. Caroline slipped into the cave, noticing how everyone but Mikael had already bedded down, and he did not look happy. She nodded at him silently and hurried to her bed roll, which had moved to the outside, she now next to Elena, not between her and Rebekah. As she slipped between the covers she heard him walk up to Klaus and mutter in a harsh whisper, "We will discuss this more in the morning boy, don't think I will forget."

"Of course Father." Klaus replied, and she could hear the vialed anger and discontent in his tone, and was sure Mikael could as well. Caroline listened as both of them went to their own sleeping areas and was surprised at how quickly their breathing evened out in sleep.

"Where did you go?" Elena's voice suddenly whispered behind her.

Caroline turned around slowly to face her, "I just needed to be alone, the blood was overwhelming my senses. Sorry to just disappear."

"It's alright. I understand, but they just crowded me after, asking how I cut my arm, it was very nerve wracking." Elena explained, keeping her voice low to try and not awake Rebekah on her other side.

"I promise next month will be better. I won't forget to feed." Caroline assured her.

"I am going to remind you that morning, that is for sure." Elena teased and then asked, "Did Klaus follow you?"

Caroline felt her face drop and answered, "Yes, he did. Can we talk it about in the morning? When we are truly alone."

"Of course. Good night Caroline." Elena replied and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight Elena." Caroline whispered back and hoped sleep would come as easily to her as it had to everyone else.

* * *

 

As morning broke they slowly started removing many of the items from the cave. Esther insisted that Caroline and Elena did not need to help with anything other than their own belongings but they refused to listen. Elena rolled up her blankets as the others left to go about their own chores, she never even realized that she was nearly alone until a voice said, "You should have taken my mother's advice and gotten out of this while you could."

"I do not like being useless Kol." Elena replied, her voice short.

"Oh, I can think of something else you could be of use for sweetheart." Kol said suggestively.

Elena rolled her eyes at his tone, "Not interested Kol. Go do your own chores now."

"Come on, don't be like this." He tried, going to stand in front of her, "I can show you a real good time."

"Still not interested, go find some silly little woman to play with Kol." Elena said and brushed past him, heading out into the tunnels.

Passing Caroline on the way, "Be warned, Kol is on the prowl."

"Thanks, I will make sure to be on the lookout." Caroline joked and slipped into the cave. She noticed Kol was busy piling up some of the extra wood in an alcove near the back, probably securing it for next month. Caroline heard the movement stop and him take a few footsteps towards her, so she cut him to the case, "Don't even bother Kol, nothing you can say or do will ever make it happen."

"That sounds like a challenge." Kol commented, but she could hear the lack of confidence in his voice.

"It isn't. I got enough men vying for my attention, I don't need to add you to it." Caroline explained, turning to look at the young man.

"I understand." Kol said, his face not really showing any real disappointment, and then in an undertone she wouldn't have caught if it wasn't for her vampire hearing, "I hope you can be that good thing he deserves."

Caroline watched him return to his duties, shock on her face at his words. She and Elena had a lot more to talk about than she had previously thought.

* * *

 

He hated this, pretending to be friends with the annoying kid because his brother needed leverage. He especially hated it now, he was having strange memories of a girl that looked like Klaus' Caroline, and shared the name, plus a girl that shared a name with the doppelganger, though she didn't really look like her. Kol had considered calling his brother, but decided against it when he decided that he just didn't care enough. If it was super important, he was sure that Klaus or someone would call him and inform him of it. It had been nearly a day now, and still not a word from anyone in his family. His phone started to vibrate in his pocket, a moment of surprise hit him, and he half expected to be his brother, but it was his charge instead, "Hey Jer, where are you?" He asked, putting on his friendly voice and relaxing back on the bench he was sitting on at the batting range.

"At the airport. I have some family stuff I need to take care of back in Mystic Falls. Sorry I wasn't able to talk to you person, it was very sudden. I'll call you some other time alright?" Jeremy explained, and Kol could hear the overhead speakers through the phone announcing flights in the background.

"I understand mate. Call me if you need anything." Kol replied, silently cursing himself for not paying close enough attention to the younger Gilbert.

"Thanks man. I got to go." Jeremy said quickly and the phone disconnected.

Kol quickly punched in his brother's number and waited as it rang, endlessly it seemed before it finally stopped, "Now is not a good time Kol." Klaus uttered, his voice obviously strained, and Kol could hear voices arguing in the distance.

"This will be quick. Jeremy is on plane headed back to Mystic Falls." Kol responded, his brow furled in confusion, "Want me to follow him back or can I do my own stuff now?"

"We need you here and the quicker the better." Klaus answered, and Kol heard him yell something to those he was with, "I will explain when you arrive, I am sure you have many questions anyway."

"Sure Nik, see you tomorrow." Kol said and hung up the phone, confused at the conversation. _What would I have questions about_ , he wondered, _Nik is always ordering me around, why would I suddenly question it_?

Nik didn't seem to care about the Gilbert boy either and he has never liked it when a piece of his plan goes off script. It must have something to do with these memories, these sudden, confusing memories. Kol started thinking intensely about what he now remembered. Caroline slowly changing his brother, making him more stable and less angry but getting him in tons of trouble with Mikael. And the Elena of the past giving Elijah a reason to fade away from Tatia, even when the whore refused to stay gone. The change they caused in his sister was also very evident in his mind, they made her feel accepted and wanted, it increased her confidence to a previously unknown level. He never spent much time with them himself though, after a failed try at seducing them both, he quickly grew bored with them and their fascinations with his brothers. There had been many girls in the village who had been more than willing to spend some time with him.

"Stupid idiot!" Kol yelled aloud, jumping to his feet, causing some of the people around the batting range to look at him oddly. _Stupid, stupid magic, always messing with me,_ he thought as he stomped off toward his car to begin his journey to Mystic Falls. _Not bad enough that it tortured me as a child, then abandoned me as a vampire, only to screw with me one thousand years later. I hate magic._


	7. Important Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings are discussed

Kol's words haunted Caroline over the next few months, whenever she saw Klaus they pressed to the front the most. She was also keeping them to herself, Elena knew all about happened at caves between her and Klaus, but Kol's words were just for her. Originally she had thought she would tell Elena all about it but she couldn't get the words out whenever she tried to tell her. She thought to herself, _How am I supposed to be a good thing for him? All I do really is lie or just ignore him completely. If Ayanna can figure out her spell, he won't even remember me in a few months._

"Caroline, where is Elena?" Ayanna asked, looking up after hours of just staring at her ingredients.

"She just went to get some more logs." She answered, and wandered her way over to Ayanna's work station on the other end of the house, "Have you figured out how to get us back home yet?"

"I am getting closer to that. I do wish to speak to you both about a few things that should help make your stay a bit more enjoyable." Ayanna explained and both turned as the door opened, "Elena, would you mind coming over here?"

Elena placed the logs in their designated space near the fire pit before joining the other two at the table and waited politely for Ayanna to begin.

"I have found a spell that will hide you from the memories of Esther's family, but I will need to wait until they transform for the spell to take hold." She informed them, watching their reactions carefully.

"So, anything we do or say with them won't affect the future?" Elena asked, just to confirm what it was that Ayanna was telling them.

"Correct, but I also need to find a way to make the spell temporary." Ayanna continued.

"Why only temporary?" Caroline asked, her fingers playing with hem of her sleeve in a nervous twitch. If it was only temporary, that would mean that Klaus would remember their pervious intimate moments and the ones she was sure were going to happen in the future, at least if her body got any more say in the matter.

"I am having trouble figuring out a way to get the timing perfect on their side and on ours. The Originals, as you call them, are the perfect solution. They will be alive in both time periods, meaning that if I tell them what to do now, they will remember it in the future and be able to aide your witch." Ayanna explained, not surprised with their confused expressions, "They will be able to control the timing of the spell perfectly in the future, ensuring the success of the spell."

"The only problem with that is…the Originals are our enemies in the future. Our friends will not accept their help easily or believe that do not have sinister motives." Elena informed the older witch.

"I am sure they will find a way, they will want you returned to them, will they not?" Ayanna asked.

"Of course, they are our friends." Caroline replied.

"And the others will want you back as well. I see how often Rebekah, Elijah, and Niklaus grace our doorstep, when they remember all you mean to them, they will do all they can to help, I am sure of it." Ayanna responded.

"You have a lot more faith in their feelings for us than we do." Caroline remarked.

"Outsiders can always see what those too close cannot." Ayanna commented before one of her herbs started smoking in a different color, "I need to focus on this right now. How about the two of you go enjoy the beautiful day."

"Yes Ayanna." Elena replied, knowing the push off for what it was and Caroline followed her silently outside.

* * *

 

Elena and Caroline walked in silence along a little used trail they had discovered until they reached a very secluded meadow. Caroline had grabbed a blanket off the drying laundry line as they had left the cabin and she now laid it on the grass, giving them a dry and dirt free place to sit and discuss everything that Ayanna had just told them.

Elena started them off, "I was not expecting for there to be a way for the Originals to remember us. I thought Ayanna would erase the memories and we would be the only ones who knew everything happening now."

"So did I." Caroline said in a defeated voice, "Klaus is going to remember everything. Which is only going help his little obsession with me and I will not be able to act as indifferent as I was, not when he remembers how easy I have been."

"You have not been easy." Elena tried to defend her.

"What would you call kissing a man you, in his mind anyway, you just met an hour earlier? Or kissing that same man a few weeks later the second you were left alone with him?" Caroline asked, her voice raising in anger at her actions, though, if she was being completely truthful, she enjoyed them too much to be guilty.

"You are just being…." Elena didn't really know what word to use, because she really didn't know what was going on in Caroline's head, "What are you even doing with Klaus? Whenever he comes to visit you flirt with him easy enough, is that all it is or are you actually starting to feel something for him?"

Caroline knew that she was starting to feel something for him, if her brain didn't keep her reminding her that he was the enemy, she probably would have given in to his advances by now, but she also wasn't sure she was ready to admit it. She decided to answer with, "I could ask the same about you and Elijah, don't think that I haven't noticed, or that Rebekah hasn't either."

"Elijah and I are just friends Caroline, that is all we have ever been, and that is also all we will ever be." Elena answered confidently, though she wasn't really sure she was telling the truth.

Caroline didn't believe her but allowed the subject to drop for the moment, "And, in all honesty, I think I am starting to fall for Klaus. He is just so charming and sweet and…" She stopped herself and said, "But, I know everything he is going to turn into and everything that he does to you, Stefan, Tyler, myself and everyone else we know. How could I allow this to happen?"

"He's different now and let's be honest, on some level you were attracted to him before. If you weren't, we would be having a completely different conversation right now." Elena replied, trying to believe she was even talking about this right now, "Have you ever thought that maybe you can change him? If he will remember everything that happens between you two, maybe when we return to the future he will be different."

"So you want me to be with Klaus to make him nicer?" Caroline asked, feeling almost as if Elena was offering her up as bait, again.

"No! But what if this finally makes you happy? What if he can make you happy, and you can make him happy? We all know that all Klaus has ever really wanted was to have someone love him, love him completely and for being who he is." Elena explained her thoughts, "And, so do you Care. It is obvious you don't think Tyler can do that, or you would be fighting Klaus' advances much harder."

Caroline was speechless for a few minutes, processing all of Elena's words. Wondering when her friend became so informed on the matters of her heart, and then realized the answer, "How can you handle feeling all this, all the time Elena? I have only been having to deal with this for a few months, you have had to for over a year. I don't think I ever realized exactly what you were going through with Stefan and Damon, and I probably still don't, but this is so hard. I never thought I would find myself in the situation where I was picking between two men."

"It isn't as easy as outsiders always think it is." Elena commented, and then in a saddened voice added, "Just follow your heart Caroline, deep down, you know which one is the right choice."

"Do you Elena?" Caroline asked because her curiosity just wouldn't let it go.

"I can't Caroline, not right now. I know you are on Team Stefan and always will be." Elena practically snapped and got to her feet. Not waiting for Caroline she started walking back to the village.

"Damon has just hurt me too much Elena, I can't get past that. But, if you told me that he was the person you feel like you belong with, that he is the one you truly love and can't live without. I will accept it and support you, because you deserve happiness too." Caroline told her, flashing in front of her friend to force her to look at her as they talked. Caroline didn't wait for a response and walked back to the blanket and folded it slowly, giving Elena to a good head start back to the village. They both needed some space from each other at the moment.

* * *

 

Klaus drew in the lines of her face carefully, trying to make sure he captured the moment perfectly. He wanted to be able to show her this when she finally returned home. The picture was simple and yet elegant, just like her. This would be the proof of his love for her when she returned, or at least he hoped it would. The picture showed her in the moment he realized he would spend forever trying to win this girls affection. As he put the finishing touches on her dress, the door to his studio opened, without a knock to announce the visitor. "Welcome back little brother." He greeted, not looking up from his drawing, trying to decide if it was perfect enough, or if he should try again.

"What are you not telling me Nik?" Kol asked, his voice demanding.

"Just magic ruining our lives some more." Klaus commented and stood from his seat, "What are you suddenly remembering?"

"Two girls that stayed with Ayanna for a few months, one looked a lot like that little blonde vampire friend of the doppelganger and the other shared the doppelganger's name. I also vaguely remembering doing a spell that would send the two girls away, that part is still rather unclear." Kol explained, watching his brother carefully for any tells.

"Those two girls were Caroline and Elena. Their little witch did a spell to try and figure out the creator of their bloodline and it went badly, sending the girls to us in the past instead." Klaus informed his younger brother, trying to keep emotion out of his voice, "Now we need to help get them back here, to the right time, where they truly belong."

"I really have grown to despise magic lately." Kol sighed before asking, "You want me to go help the witch I am guessing?"

"Yes, you and Rebekah are the ones that were most involved with magic when we were human. The two of you understand the mechanics of the spell much more than Elijah and I do." Klaus confirmed and looked back at the drawing on his table.

Kol watched his brother a moment before saying, "I will do this Nik, but only for the reason that I know it will make all of you happy."

"I don't know what you mean." Klaus replied, not looking at his brother. "Yes you do. I might have decided those two were a waste of my time, but the three of you didn't. I know you loved that girl, Caroline. And that Elijah was at least falling for Elena, he had thrown Tatia aside I remember. Also, I don't remember Rebekah ever being happier than she had when those two were in her life." Kol explained, slowly and with many veiled emotions, "I hope this works out in the end for you Nik." He said and walked away, not wanting to hear his brother answer, knowing it would be more denial.

Klaus thought over his brother's words, knowing they were the truth but for some reason he was having trouble admitting it to others. He had not had trouble admitting it earlier, when all the new emotions were so fresh in his mind and body. But now, his earlier conversation with Rebekah was remembered, and he was truly afraid that Caroline would return and want nothing more to do with him. He looked at the picture again and felt his heart surge with emotion. He had truly caught the moment perfectly. She was so beautiful and never more so than when she was trying to be under control, her words pushing him away but her hands bringing him closer. It was in this moment he knew he loved her, knew he needed her forever, and when he promised her to fight for her forever. With grim determination he walked to the window and opened it, looking out the lavish grounds in front him, and said aloud, "And fight for her I will, forever if I need to."


	8. Relationships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more insight into some feelings

Caroline and Elena chose to not discuss their conversation in the meadow again, they had silently agreed that they would worry about it if anything progressed. The following day was not one for the record books of wonderful weather days, all rain, cold, and windy. It kept them very comfortably indoors. It was just the two of them as well, Ayanna's talents were needed somewhere else. Caroline was sitting silently, curled onto her blanket, staring off into the distance. She was lost in her thoughts, jumping between her feelings for Klaus and Tyler.

Elena was off doing something very similar with her own thoughts near the fire. Her thoughts were split between three men though, not just two, for a reason she wasn't ready to admit Elijah was invading her mind. Elena had secretly hoped that her distance from Stefan and Damon would allow her some perspective, but it all had really done was make her even more confused.

The sudden rasp on the door spooked both of them from their thoughts and Caroline quickly unwrapped herself to answer it.

A soaked Rebekah ran inside and threw off her hood, "Hello my darlings." She greeted happily, removing her wet cloak and throwing it on a hook near the door before settling in near Elena.

"We weren't expecting you today Bekah." Caroline responded, moving to join her friends around the fire.

"I know, I hope I am not bothering you, but I couldn't stay in that house any longer." Rebekah explained, her voice less thrilled that it been before, "There are just too many men and my mom went off somewhere this morning with Ayanna. So I knew that the two of you would be alone too."

"Your dad and Klaus again?" Caroline asked, her interest probably more than it should be.

"Yes, but also Kol and Henric bickering about something. Finn was just being moody in a corner, boring as usual. I could see that Elijah was doing his best not to get involved in the fight between Nik and Father, but I could also see that was not going to last long." Rebekah informed them, and then added with large sigh, "I just wish my family could fight less, or that I could at least understand what they were fighting about."

"All families have their problems Rebekah." Elena assured her, moving to sit directly beside the girl, "Trust me when I say, that one day, your family will be united in something and it will bring you closer together."

"I know you are trying to help Elena, but you really don't know what my family is like. You've only seen the show my Father puts on for the benefits of others. Elijah, Nik, and I enjoy your company greatly and trust both of you to keep our secrets, but you don't know everything that goes on in that house." Rebekah replied, tears forming in her eyes.

Caroline kneeled down in front of the two girls and took Rebekah's hands in her own, "We are here for you Bekah, we can see what this doing to you. You say you trust us, the feeling is mutual and we promise that anything you tell us remains between us."

Rebekah didn't say anything though, she broke into tears. Elena drew Rebekah's head to her chest and Caroline just squeezed her hands. Both just comforting their friend, neither trying to pressure her to quiet down or speak of her troubles, what Rebekah needed was support, so that is what they would give her. Caroline eventually decided that they could all use some tea and made them a pot of the most calming tea Ayanna had.

Rebekah eventually stopped crying and sat holding her tea in embarrassed silence.

Elena broke the quiet and said, "How about we talk about something happier?"

"Sounds good." Caroline replied, but didn't know what the happy topic could be.

"I know what would make me happy," Rebekah said suddenly, her voice much stronger than it had been previously, "The two of you coming to your senses."

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked, giving a glance to Caroline and seeing that she was just as confused.

"You two and my brothers." Rebekah clarified, "I see the way they are with you and I think that you all could be very happy together."

"Rebekah, we've told you. We have men back home." Elena reminded her, not for the first time either.

"Yes, yes. Your brother trouble, do you chose the younger sweet one or the older more dangerous one." Rebekah said, somewhat mockingly, "And Caroline, you don't even know if you have a man still. So, why are you two waiting around for them, when you could have something right here?"

"It isn't that simple Bekah." Caroline said, and tried to think of a way to better explain her thoughts, "When you love someone your feelings don't just disappear because there are miles between you."

"I never thought they did." Rebekah defended herself, "But I am sure being able to see the person, talk to them, to actually be with them makes everything better. Besides, when was the last time you actually mentioned Tyler? Or you mentioned Stefan and Damon? When we first met you two would bring them up often, but now, I never hear you talk about them. That can't mean nothing."

"I am not going to lie to you Rebekah, I do feel something for Klaus. I don't know what those feelings are but they are making me feel guilty." Caroline admitted, not looking at either of the girls in front of her.

"What makes you feel guilty?" Rebekah asked, her voice full of concern at the look on Caroline's face.

Caroline closed her eyes and took a deep breath before answering, "The guilt comes from being attracted to your brother when I am supposed to be in love with Tyler."

"I think the key part of your sentence is 'supposed to be' Care. You talk in past tense and about how things should be, not how thing are." Rebekah stated, "Is that how you really want to live your life?"

"Bekah, I still haven't decided completely what I want. I just need more time to think things through, and maybe spend a bit more time with your brother." Caroline conceded, still avoiding Elena's gaze.

"Good, I'm going to tell him you want to spend more time with him." Rebekah said, and then turned on Elena, "What about you and Elijah?"

"Elijah and I are just friends Rebekah, we've never even spent any time together alone." Elena said, not trying to let it sound like the lie it was, though she hadn't spent any alone time with him in the here and now, in the future they had many moments of being alone.

"You could change that…"

"I have too many men in my life as it is and he has Tatia." Elena interrupted, standing quickly, and turning away from Rebekah and Caroline.

"Elena, you would be…" Rebekah was once more interrupted, this time by rapid knocks on the door.

Caroline stood to answer it, and Rebekah stood as well, moving behind her, predicting what the knock was about. Caroline opened the door and greeted the boy on the other side, "Hello there Henric."

"Good evening Caroline. I am here to fetch my sister." The young boy replied sweetly, his damp hair sticking to his forehead.

"I am right here little brother." Rebekah responded throwing on her cloak, and looked out the door, "At least it isn't raining as hard anymore."

"No, but we should get going before Father gets any angrier." Henric said and waved at Elena when he noticed her in the background.

"Of course, we will finish our chat later ladies." Rebekah said pointedly at them before following her brother toward their own home.

"I am sure we will." Caroline said quietly to herself before shutting the door.

* * *

 

The light rain, now more of a mist really, was helping to calm his anger. He knew that he would get in even more trouble for just storming off but had he remained in the house any longer he would have ended up taking a swing at his father. His ribs already stung from a hit he had received before he ran off, he didn't even want to think about the pain he would suffer for fighting back.

As he ducked between a few houses, a soft hand gripped his arm, stopping him in his tracks, "Where have you been hiding stranger?" The sweet, seductive voice asked.

"I am not in the mood Tatia." He said through gritted teeth, not wanting to deal with the little harlot at this time.

"Come on, I haven't seen you in weeks and it has been even longer than that since we had any real fun." Tatia teased, running the hand not holding his arm over his chest.

Klaus stopped her hand at his chest, "I told you before Tatia, I am done with you. You want someone in your bed, that is what you have my brother for, is it not? Or was your little game only fun when you got to have us both?"

"Don't sound so offended." Tatia snapped, and ripped her hand from his grasp, "You knew I was with your brother when you started pursuing me."

"I did, and now, I no longer want you." He told her, his voice firm as he pushed her away from his body.

Tatia let out a chuckle of disbelief, "You think that little blonde girl will make you happy Klaus? I bet that once she stops giving you a chase and you have her, you will grow bored with her and come crawling back to me." She informed him, her voice angry and full of malice. She looked him up and down with anger in her eyes before storming off toward her home, not once looking back at him.

Klaus just shook his head and continued on his walk, now more frustrated than he had been before. _Why can't she just leave me alone?_ He thought and started walking around the border of the village along the woods. _I want to be with someone who doesn't just want to use me for some little game. Or abuse me, like my father. I don't think that is too much to ask for at all. Caroline makes me feel….feel things I have never felt before. Seems very strange for a girl I have known for such a small amount of time but that first kiss in the woods was just purely for fun, and it is all I can think about. That kiss in the caves just confirmed everything for me, she has somehow gotten under my skin with nothing but her lips and her attitude. Caroline is what I want and once I have her, I will never let her go, no matter what Tatia believes. She doesn't know the real me anyway, only the me I allow her to know_.

His walking led him close to Ayanna's home and he paused to stare at the building that held the object of his affection. He was almost willing her to walk out into the light rain, just so he could catch a glimpse of her beautiful features. He just watched the house, his only thoughts only about her and wondering what he could possibly do to get her to spend some time alone with him. He could think of nothing though, and was slightly annoyed at his lack of imagination on the subject. The door suddenly opened but both girls walked out, not just one. He was slightly disappointed as they were also wearing cloaks, covering them up completely. Luck was on his side though as one of them turned and the hood of the cloak was whipped off her head, revealing long blond curls let loose to the wind.

She turned and he was given a full view of her face, laughing as she tried to tuck her hair back into the nape of the cloak. "Think you are fighting a loosing battle there Care." He heard Elena laugh at her sister.

"I am pretty sure I have been fighting it my entire life Elena." Caroline responded, the laughter in her voice clear as she gave up trying to stuff her hair back into the hood, instead just letting it fly around her.

He smiled as he watched the girls wander off toward the well, Caroline carrying an empty bucket and their laughter still present on the wind. He didn't think he and his siblings had ever had such a carefree moment. He slowly turned and walked back down his path, back toward the home he desperately wished he could leave.

* * *

Rebekah stared at a picture of Caroline and Elena she had stolen from Bonnie's phone and sent to her own. The two girls were smiling happily at the camera, as if they had no care in the world at that moment. She wished she could have had a camera in the past, then she would have proof that she was once friends with the girls in this picture. _Maybe Nik would draw me a picture_ , she thought, _it could even be better than a photograph with Nik's talents_.

She relaxed back on her giant bed and stared up the ceiling above her, thinking back on the last few days with the Salvatores and their little misfit gang. Kol had come home to help with the spell to bring the girls home, and he was very lackluster about the whole thing. Which was annoying everyone, but Bonnie was the one who had to suffer the most, Rebekah almost felt bad for the little witch. Her brother was a huge pain in the ass and a constant flirt, so that witch was in for a tiring week and a half.

There was a gentle knock on her door, and just from that she knew who was on the other side, so she called, "Come in Elijah."

"Hello Rebekah. I realized that we have not really had a chance to talk about all these developments. How are you feeling about everything?" He asked, and sat gracefully on the end of her bed.

"The more I am able to think about it, the more I worry that when they return they will want nothing to do with me. I am a very different person now than I was then." Rebekah voiced her concerns to her eldest brother.

"They knew who you were when they became friends with you Rebekah." Elijah assured her, "I highly doubt that they will abandon you just because you are no longer that same person you were a thousand years ago."

"Nik said something similar, but his relationships and your relationships with them were different from mine. And that includes both before they came to the past and what happened while they were there. I don't have the privilege of knowing that one of them is in love me, all they did was make promises, and I highly doubt they will keep them." Rebekah said, expressing her fears.

Elijah sighed, hating that his sister had such deep self-esteem issues, "Rebekah, Elena and Caroline love you. Do you really think that they would have shared so much with you, comforted you when you needed it, or laughed with you when you needed that? Those women did, do love you Rebekah. Much more than they loved me."

"Don't be foolish Elijah, I am willing to bet my entire wardrobe that Elena will realize her mistake and coming crawling to you, leaving those Salvatore brothers as nothing more than faded memories." Rebekah tried to convince her brother, but she could see her words having no effect on his stoic features, "I know that is what you want too."

"I will not do anything to make Elena's life anymore difficult or confusing than it already is." Elijah said, and then explained further, "The relationship I had with Elena in the past will remain in the past. I know how she feels about Stefan and Damon, we have discussed it at length. I highly doubt that her feelings about them changed since we had that conversation, nearly a week before we sent them home."

"It isn't her feelings about them that needed to have changed, it is her feelings about you. You saved her life Elijah, at a time when it would have so easy for you to get carried away, you saved her." Rebekah replied, "I know you love her Elijah."

"That may be Rebekah, but Elena does not love me. I will not complicate her life, I will simply remain her friend, because that is what she will need most when she returns." Elijah informed his sister, doing his best to keep his hidden emotions in check.

"I think you should fight." Rebekah responded firmly, "Fight for the woman you love Elijah. Nik shouldn't be the only one to get a happy ending out of all of this."

"You will have your friends back Rebekah, they can be your happy ending as well." Elijah assured his sister, but could tell she wasn't completely on board.

Rebekah didn't reply right away and thought on his words, and then asked, "How do you think Caroline will tell everyone?"

"I highly doubt they will care if Caroline wants to be your friend Rebekah." Elijah commented, cracking a small smile.

"No, not that." Rebekah half laughed, and then with more firmness, "How do you think she will explain her and Nik? Tyler especially is just not going to let her go without a fight."

"I am sure Niklaus is working on that problem. He already won over Elena, that was his biggest obstacle, with her support the others will follow behind. Tyler will just need to understand or leave town. Niklaus will do his best not to kill the boy I am sure, Caroline would be very upset with him, but that doesn't mean he won't do something else if Tyler doesn't fall into line." Elijah speculated, "We both know our brother, nothing will be take Caroline away from him, and he will do everything he can to ensure it."

Rebekah nodded in agreement and then questioned, "When did you realize that Nik was in love with Caroline, and not just fooling around for fun?"

"Sometime between the their first full moon and the bear incident." Elijah replied, "I know that is a space of a few months, but I don't know really know the exact day. But I remember teasing him about it before the bear."

"That bear changed everything for us." Rebekah commented quietly, "I realized it about two weeks before the bear. Nik came home one day and was just too happy for a simple day spent gathering wood. I asked him about it and he simply said that he ran into Caroline during his chores." Rebekah paused for a moment before adding, "I saw Caroline the next day, asked her about, and she was just as vague. It was then that I knew that they were love, just neither was ready to admit it."

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened to us without them being in the past? Because, even though they didn't mean too, the girls being there did change things." Elijah wondered aloud.

"I never thought of it that way, but without them, you and Nik would have probably been killed by that bear." Rebekah said out loud, her face showing her marvel at the concepts of time travel.

"But at the same time, Nikalus and I were sent on that hunting trip in the first place for punishment for our relationships with Caroline and Elena. So maybe, without them, we never would have came across the bear. Time travel sure knows how to mess with the mind." Elijah responded, wishing now that he never brought up the subject.

"It sure does." Rebekah agreed and glanced back at her phone, and jumped up from her bed as she said, "I got to go or I'm going to be late for school."

"Still going to school at a time like this?" Elijah inquired, watching as his sister dashed around the room, grabbing various objects.

"Of course, if I don't have something to do to distract me I will crazy thinking about this." Rebekah answered, and then added with a smirk, "Besides, I have to show everyone that I can change. What better way than being a sincere, good student?"

Elijah resisted the urge to his roll his eyes and got up from the bed, "Just be yourself Rebekah, that is the only true way you will get people to like you."

"They didn't like the real me before, why should now be different?" Rebekah questioned.

"You weren't showing the real you, you were showing the petty, spoiled, princess you. Be the you you were when we were human, and you were the first hundred years or so. Then they will all love you, I can practically guarantee it." Elijah assured her before exiting the bedroom, closing the door behind him and walking toward his own room. He hated to admit it, but Rebekah was right, he did love Elena, so he should fight for her. But, he wasn't the kind of man to go against Elena's wishes and she had firmly asserted that she just wanted to be friends, that there was enough men drama in her life. So, that is just what he would do, be her friend. No matter how much it pained him to watch her with someone else.


	9. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Relationships take on new meanings

Caroline loved how she felt after a hunt, the fresh blood coursing through her system always made her feel more alive. She was actually starting to get used to the animal blood, though it dulled some of her vampire abilities, but it wasn't as bad as she had originally thought it would be. Caroline could sense him in the distance and changed her direction to run into him, or more, have him run into her. Her discussion with Rebekah had been fresh on her mind since yesterday. She had swore to spend more time with Klaus, attempting to get to know him, but, if she was being completely honest her mind was already made up on what she wanted to do with him next.

"Out for another swim love?" His rich voice asked her, and she pretended to be startled by his appearance.

"Not today, just out for a pleasant walk in the woods." She answered, smiling sweetly at him as he walked closer, "What about you?"

"I am on log duty today." He replied, dropping a bag full of freshly chopped wood at their feet as both of them stopped walking, "I thought it would turn out to be a dull day because of that, but I am glad I am wrong." He added his signature smirk into the mix.

"And what makes you think I will make it less dull?" She asked coyly, enjoying their little game, but also trying to make sure that the few feet of distance between them remained there. Even with every part of her body yelling at her to kiss him again.

"You always do." He replied and took a step forward, and she didn't take a step back, "I heard something very interesting from my little sister this morning."

"Oh, and what might that be?" She asked, though she was pretty sure she knew the answer from the look on his face.

"That you are not unwelcome to my advances." He responded, now only a few inches separated them instead of feet, "Was she telling the truth?"

Caroline opened her mouth to answer but before she could utter a word he pressed his lips to her with passion. Her hands wrapped themselves around his neck and her fingers curled into his hair. She was surprised to feel herself pushed up against a tree, again, and couldn't help the laugh that escaped her throat.

"What is funny love?" Klaus asked, before he slowly started kissing her neck.

"That we are kissing and again I find myself pressed up against a tree." She answered and a giggle went along with it. Klaus let out a small chuckle himself before claiming her lips and his hands were playing with the fabric at her waist. She could tell that he was controlling himself to not let his hands wander and found her wanting them to do exactly that. It been over three months since their first kiss in these woods and it was all Caroline was able to think about. So, to make sure he understood her wants, she ran her hands over his back and then started to lift up his shirt.

Klaus stilled and pulled away to look at her, "What are you doing love?"

"Exactly what it seems like I am doing." She answered with a seductive smile and continued to pull at his shirt.

His hands grabbed hers, stopping them, "Are you sure about this?"

"Trust me, I have never wanted this more." She replied and kissed him with all the passion she could muster, hoping to leave him with no doubts about her desires. Caroline found she was not disappointed as his own hands started to pull up the fabric of her long skirt, trying to find the hem so he could slip his hands under it. She slowly pushed them away from the tree, allowing her to get access to the strings at the back of her dress that kept it together.

Klaus turned her around and he deftly untied the strings faster than she ever could have. He placed small kisses on her back and shoulders causing shivers to course through her body. She turned around quickly, probably a little too quickly, but he didn't seem to mind when she pressed her lips to his again. Caroline felt the fabric fall from her shoulders and pulled on the sleeves to help it along. Klaus stepped back for a brief amount and pulled his shirt over his head.

Caroline eyed his sculpted body and for the first time since she arrived in the past, was thankful for the all physical labor. All the various scars in different shades of healing didn't escape her notice either, but she figured she would wait to questions those at a different time. She locked eyes with him and pulled the dress completely off her arms, letting it fall in a puddle at her feet. She now stood in front of him wearing nothing but a pair of shorts that she had made from the undergarments she was supposed to be wearing.

Klaus didn't seem to notice the oddity of her clothing, instead he closed the small space between them, his hands resting on her naked hips, and he whispered, "You are so beautiful."

Caroline smiled at his words and returned to kissing him. His hands started to wonder upward, while hers traveled south. Her fingers played with his toned abs for a while before moving further and started undoing the laces that held up his trousers. His hands cupped her breasts while she slipped his pants off his hips.

Caroline moved her lips to his ear, nipped it, and then said, "Make me yours."

His hands wasted no time to remove the last piece of fabric that separated them and positioned himself to join with her in the most intimate way. But before he made that final move, his deep blue eyes looked her in the eyes and he said, "Only for now and forever love."

* * *

 

"Good afternoon Elena." Elijah greeted her as she walked back to her house from the wood shed Ayanna kept nearby.

"Hello Elijah." She responded, giving the man a pleasant smile, "How have you been? I haven't had a chance to talk to you in over a week."

"Allow me to carry that for you." He insisted, taking the pile of logs from her before answering her question, "I am quite well, thank you. Things have just been getting me distracted lately."

"Distracted in a good way?" Elena inquired as they walked, she enjoyed spending time with Elijah, it just felt so comfortable being around him.

"I think that would depend on your definition of good." He answered, and started to slow down as they reached the door to Elena's home.

"Elijah are you sure you are alright?" Elena asked, looking at her friend closely, "You can come in and talk to me if you need to? I am not busy at the moment."

"Is Caroline home?" He inquired, and looked around him, seeing if anyone was currently watching them. "No, she went for a walk. She likes to be alone every now and then, to clear her head. It would just be the two us as Ayanna is also out." Elena informed him, and opened her door, "Please come in Elijah, I can see that you really need to talk about something."

"It would not be proper for us to be alone together Elena, you know that." Elijah replied, but made no move to leave.

"I do, but I also care more about you than about my reputation." Elena assured him, giving him a sweet smile and walking through the open door. Elijah paused for a moment, unsure of what he wanted to do, he did wish to speak to Elena, he had this growing feeling that she was someone he could trust and who wouldn't judge him. But entering her home, fully knowing that no one would be there was highly inappropriate. He looked around quickly and didn't notice any lingering eyes, it was not uncommon for him to be here, and maybe no one knew that Caroline was away. He sighed and entered that house, closing the door behind him.

"Would you like something to drink Elijah?" Elena asked, not even turning to look at him, "Ayanna has many teas."

"I do not want to trouble you more than I already have." Elijah insisted and sat at the small table that had been constructed for them.

"It is no trouble, I was planning on making some for myself." Elena informed him, and poured him a glass without waiting for his answer. She carried the wooden glasses over and sat down across for him, "Now, what is troubling you?"

"I am regretting some of my resent actions." He started, just swishing the liquid in its glass, "I think I have disgraced myself with my belief in…."

"I highly doubt you have done something disgraceful Elijah, that is against your character." Elena assured him, smiling sweetly.

"You have too much faith in me Elena." He replied seriously, "I have allowed myself to be made a fool."

"Are things not developing well with Tatia?" She asked, trying to keep her voice level and unemotional. The look on his face told her all she needed to know, "What happened?"

"This morning she asked that I no longer take any action to pursue her." Elijah said breathlessly, his voice cracking with hidden emotion.

"Oh Elijah." She said, her voice conveying her emotion at seeing her friend distressed. But she was secretly smiling, glad that Tatia would be leaving Elijah alone, he deserved better, "Did she say why?"

"That was the strange part, she said something about the thrill being gone from the courtship. I don't know how that could be, I have done nothing different." He explained, and finally took a sip of his tea, "I have done some things I do not feel proud of Elena. Things that were not proper of me to do during courtship."

Elena didn't need the details to know what he was talking about, "Do you love her Elijah? Did you want to ask for her hand?"

"Yes, on both accounts." He replied, finally looking her in the eyes.

"Then you did nothing wrong." Elena assured him, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it.

"No offense Elena, but you really don't know…"

"Don't assume things Elijah. I was…courted once by a man I had planned to spend the rest of life with, and I gave him everything I had. I don't regret it either, I loved him completely, with my entire being. It was one of the happiest moments of my life." Elena told him, smiling as thoughts of Stefan flooded her mind. And then a surging of guilt for thinking more about Elijah than him lately, just as Rebekah had accused her of doing.

"Why are you not with him now?" Elijah asked, his usual respect for privacy escaping him for his curiosity.

Elena paused and took a long drink of her tea, trying to think of an answer that would explain the situation.

"I did not mean to pry. You do not have to answer." Elijah retracted his question after a few moments of silence from Elena.

"No, I just don't know how to explain it. He was…taken from me, in a way. He was forced to leave me to go on a…trip, with a…friend, and the man that returned was not the same man who had left. It put a great deal of stress on our relationship, leaving us in a very strained state at the time of my departure. It also didn't help that in his absence, his brother made some very serious moves to gain my hand for his own. I believe that I did not act as his advances were as unwanted as I should have been, I see that now. I think a part of it was it gave me a connection to him, a connection to the man I loved." Elena explained, the story just flowing out of her, much more than she had originally meant to say, so she took another drink of the tea and said, "I just don't want you to be too hard on yourself Elijah, we all make mistakes. Love can weaken the mind and overpower the body sometimes."

"Do you love this brother for your intended?" Elijah asked, watching Elena's face carefully while she refused to look him in the eye.

"On a certain level….I think I do, but I could never be with him without losing Stefan, and I don't think I am ready to lose him." Elena admitted.

"Even if he is no longer the man you feel in love with?" Elijah questioned.

"He is trying to be that man again, for me. I feel like I can't just leave him, he is still in my heart. But Damon somehow was able to find away in as well, not replacing Stefan but sharing it with him. It makes things very difficult back home." Elena informed him.

"Well, you can use this time away from them to sort out your feelings. To come to grips with yourself, without them trying to influence you one way or the other." Elijah told her, this time squeezing her hand, "I am here to help you any way you need."

"Thank you Elijah." She whispered, and used her free hand to wipe her eyes before tears began to fall, "I am so sorry about this. We were supposed to talk about your problems, not mine."

"Your problem seems much more important than mine." He answered sweetly, "Mine as resolved itself in a way. Tatia wants nothing to do with me, so I will simply move on and do my best to find someone else to make me happy. Rebekah will be ecstatic I am sure." He laughed at the end.

"Yes, it will take time, but you will eventually be happy again." She replied, then caught on the last statement, "You know Rebekah dislikes Tatia?"

"I have been aware of it for a long time." He said, "I also know that you and Caroline dislike her as well. Though, I have a feeling Caroline dislikes her for a much different reason than you do."

"And for what reason do you think Caroline dislikes her?" Elena asked, picking up the now empty cups and walking to the boiling water to refill them.

"I see the way she looks at my brother when he isn't watching, or the way she looks at him when he is. I am also not blind, I know that Niklaus had a thing for Tatia, and that she was not as faithful to me as I was to her. I also noticed that he pretty much started ignoring her once Caroline came into his life." Elijah explained, and looked down at his now empty hands, as if trying to complete a thought but was unable to do so.

"Is there something you would like to ask me Elijah, I won't lie to you." Elena insisted, setting the refilled cup in front of him.

"Do you think that perhaps….Tatia…broke things off because….because Niklaus lost interest in her?" He asked, the sentence broken with emotion.

"Honestly…yes." Elena said, and sat on the bench next to him, instead of across from him, "I know a girl like Tatia in my town. She did something very similar to a pair of brothers I know. The game is what she wanted, not them, and I have a feeling that Tatia may be like that as well." She said, holding his hands, but not being able to look him in the eye, and added with a whisper, "My biggest fear is becoming her."

"You are not like that Elena. You do not play games with others emotions for fun." Elijah assured her, squeezing the hands that were in his.

"Whether I mean to or not though, that is what I am doing. I am messing with Stefan and Damon's emotions. I keep using the excuse that I don't want to lose one or the other because I have lost enough people in my life. But, I know that once I return home I will have to make a choice, I can't keep this up for forever." Elena admitted, finally glancing up at Elijah.

He didn't say anything right away, he just stared in her watering brown eyes, "That proves that you are not Tatia or this other woman you know. You care enough about the feelings of your intended and his brother to want to make a choice, not just for yourself but for them as well."

"I just don't know what to do Elijah." She whispered and feel into his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Elijah was not entirely sure what to do, there was not a lot of comfort available in his own home, which was one of the reasons he came to talk to Elena in the first place. Even though he had only know her a short time and that this was their first completely private conversation, he had this sense in his soul that he could trust her. His arms wrapped around her on reflex, he kissed the top of her head, and whispered, "How about this Elena, I will help you with your dilemma and you can help me get over Tatia. That way, we both get the support we need right now."

"Thank you for being such a great friend Elijah." Elena said in response and hugged to him closer, "You're right, we will figure all of this out together."

* * *

Klaus was very interested to see how this little meeting at the Salvatore house was going to go. Four days ago Bonnie had cast the spell, sending Caroline and Elena away while at the same time returning their memories. But this would be the first meeting where everyone on both sides would be in attendance. He watched the various groups around the room. Damon and Stefan were busy talking with Bonnie, meanwhile Matt was busy filling in Tyler and Jeremy on the events they had missed. Tyler was too busy sending Klaus death glares, and Klaus was returning them with malice, to pay much attention to his friend and Jeremy was still trying to come to terms with the fact the Kol was really an Original that befriended him to be a spy.

The Originals themselves had formed their own little group, standing perfectly calm and collected as they waited for the final member of their meeting to arrive with the special cargo. Alaric walked through the door at a quick pace, a delicate and ancient box held between his hands, "I found it." He said to the room.

"Excellent." Elijah commented, "Please, place it on the table."

Alaric did as he was bid and everyone formed a circle around the coffee table, looking at the box with curiosity and suspicion.

"Bonnie, please unlock the box with the spell Kol told you." Elijah said politely, it had been decided among the Originals that Elijah was the one that should do most of the interacting, the best way to avoid fighting and death they figured.

Bonnie was quick to place both of her hands on the box and say words that were barely above a whisper and in a language almost none of them understood. And with a click, they all knew it had worked. Bonnie, her fingers extra light, lifted up the lid. Inside the box, packaged carefully among a bed of still fresh straw laid two ceramic vases about the size of a can of chicken soup.

"How do they still look so brand new?" Alaric asked before he could stop himself, the answer obvious.

"Ayanna took a great deal of care making sure that the box and the vases were protected by strong charms." Rebekah replied, looking at the history teacher with a tiny smirk, "We couldn't allow anything to be left up to chance."

"So, what do we do now? You said we had to wait until the full moon, which is still over a week away." Damon questioned, he hated all this waiting and cooperating.

"No, I said we have to wait until the summer solstice, which just happens to be on the next full moon." Klaus snapped, Damon always seemed to know just how to grate him and Tyler's presence was nagging at him.

"Right." Damon responded sarcastically, "Still doesn't answer the question."

"We have all the ingredients now. What we do next is nothing." Elijah answered, "Bonnie will still need to study over the spell, learning it thoroughly before the night in question but other than that there is nothing left to do now but wait."

"Wonderful, looks like you and I get to spend more time together little witch." Kol said with a suggestive wag of his eyebrows that made Bonnie cringe and Jeremy tense up.

"I think I can manage on my own." Bonnie replied and sent him a glare, in response to which Kol clutched his head in momentary pain.

"I love a woman you likes to play rough." He came back and smirked, a trait it seemed all the Mikaelsons seemed capable of pulling off to perfection.

Bonnie huffed in frustration and decided to ignore him, that last two days had driven her to knock him unconscious four times, and still he just kept on coming. It was exhausting, but there was a small thrill associated with such persistence, but she was never going to admit that.

"Well, if this is over, I have other things to attend to." Klaus said, "See you all soon." He added and flashed out of the house, but he didn't fail to notice that he had picked up a shadow as he left.


	10. Looking to the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans are made

Caroline didn't want to move, she was perfectly okay with staying just as she was for the rest of eternity, with her head of Klaus' chest and his arms wrapped around her waist. The color of the sky was telling her that was not an option of course. It was growing dark and soon Elena and the Mikaelsons would start to worry if they did not return to the village. His breathing was calm and even but she knew he was not asleep, he was simply enjoying the moment, such as she was. Caroline was probably most surprised by the fact that she had just spent a few lovely hours in the passionate arms of Klaus. Klaus who was supposed to the man she hated above everything else, the enemy. And she couldn't find an ounce of guilt though present in her thoughts, only a sense of calm and happiness. She snuggled into his chest and said, "We should get back, they will start to worry soon."

"I wish I could keep you in my arms forever." He said and kissed the top of her head, "I do not think I have ever felt like this before."

"Neither have I." Caroline whispered and kissed the place above his heart before she stood up and started to put her clothes back on.

"You don't regret this do you?" He asked as he laced his pants, doing anything but looking her in the eyes.

"Klaus, look at me." She demanded, her tone leaving no choice in the matter. When he looked up she walked over to him and put a hand on each cheek, making sure he could not look away, "I do not regret a second of our time together and nothing will ever change that. I know you have not had a lot of trust in your life, but you need to trust me. I did this because I wanted to. Because ever since that first kiss in the woods you are all I have been able to think about. I have tried so hard to push you away because that feeling consumes me, which is why my guard was down in the caves. But, I promise you, from this moment on, I will never lie to you about how I feel and I promise that I will never push you away."

"What did I do to deserve you? You are so beautiful, so strong, so kind, so full of a light that draws me like a moth to the flame." He rose a hand to grip the one she had placed on his left cheek and kissed it, never taking his eyes from her.

"Maybe one day I will tell you." She whispered and placed a light but meaningful kiss on his lips, "Now, can you please tie me back up?"

"Of course love." He answered and slowly laced up her dress, his fingers ghosting over her bare back as he did so, "I should promise you something as well." He said and waited for her to turn around before he continued, "I promise that for long as I live, you will be the only woman that holds a place in my heart. Now and forever Caroline, it will be only you."

She smiled sweetly at him, "Put on your shirt Nik, we don't want to get in too much trouble. Do we?"

Klaus felt his smile grow larger at the use of the nickname only Rebekah and Kol ever used. It sounded even more pleasant falling from her glorious lips and he looked forward to hearing that voice for the rest of his days.

* * *

 

Elena was starting to worry a bit, Caroline had promised to back before dark, but that had been nearly an hour ago. Elena hadn't even realized the lateness of the hour until Elijah had left, only twenty minutes earlier. She knew that Caroline could more than take of herself, being a vampire and all, but it was just in her nature to worry. Elena could hear Mikael yelling long before he stood in front of her.

"Elena, is Niklaus here?" He asked, coming up to her as she sat the fire outside of Ayanna home.

"No sir. I haven't seen Klaus today." She answered honestly, glad she didn't have to lie to the man, even as a human she found him terrifying.

"What about your sister?" He demanded, "I know he has been showing interest in her."

"Caroline is running a few errands for Ayanna, I haven't seen her since this afternoon. I am actually starting to worry about her, she was supposed to be home an hour ago." Elena told him, hoping that Mikael would accept her answer.

That seemed to stop Mikael's angry rage at his son, realizing that a young girl might be in trouble, "We should probably gather…"

"No reason for that Father, I have her." Klaus' voice said suddenly out of nowhere, causing both Mikael and Elena to jump at the sound. Elena stood at once in shock as Klaus walked up to them carrying Caroline in his arms, and a lumber bag on his back. She noticed that Caroline's left ankle was wrapped in torn material from her dress. "Oh my, Caroline what happened?" Elena asked at once as Klaus set her on the bench next to her.

"I slipped, you know how clumsy I can be. I think I twisted my ankle something horrible because it hurts to walk on it. I got about half way back when Klaus found me." She paused and smiling sweetly at Klaus before going back to her pained face, "He was kind enough to carry me back here."

"I am just glad you are alright, I was so worried." Elena replied, pulling her into a hug, and whispered so low only Caroline could hear, "I want the truth when we are alone."

"I knew you would." Caroline answered aloud, smiling at her 'sister', before turning to Mikael, "I am so sorry I kept Klaus from his duties sir."

Elena could tell that Mikael didn't really believe the story, but he had no proof to the contrary, and Caroline kept holding her foot at an odd angle, to go with the lie. He had no choice but to say, "He only did what was right. Now, Niklaus, go home." His voice left no room for agreement.

"Yes Father." Klaus answered, and nodded a farewell to both Elena and Caroline before walking off into the semi-darkness toward his home.

"Well Caroline, I hope your distress does not last too long. Elena, I am sorry that I disturbed you earlier. Have a pleasant evening." Mikael said before walking off, not even waiting for them to respond.

Elena waited until she was sure he could no longer hear them before turning to Caroline, "Okay, what really happened? Why were so late and why were you with Klaus?"

"I just ran into him in the woods and we lost track of time. So, I came up with this wonderful ploy to keep him out of trouble when I heard you talking with Mikael." Caroline explained, her smile too innocent for Elena's liking.

"Really? What were you and Klaus doing that you lost track of time?" Elena asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

"Why did we have to be doing anything?" Caroline questioned, getting up and walking into their temporary home.

"Caroline…" Elena's voice warned as she followed, "Don't lie to me."

"Why don't you tell me what you think I did and I will tell if it happened or not?" Caroline suggested as she started to remove her dress to change into a clean one.

"Oh I think you know." Elena replied, sitting down on her bed and watching Caroline carefully. Looking for any of the signs, but knowing with Caroline's healing abilities that anything could have happened without a trace left, "We have discussed this. No judging about anything that happens. Starting over. We can't lie to each other about anything."

Caroline sighed and started to play nervously with her hair, "You're right we did agree to not judge or lie to each other." She replied and took a deep long breath before saying, "I…had sex with Klaus."

"I figured you might have." Elena responded, trying her best to not put too much emotion in her words. She didn't want it to seem like she was judging her friend, "And, how do you feel about it?"

"Truthfully…It was wonderful." Caroline admitted, smiling at Elena despite that she knew it really wasn't what Elena wanted to hear, "I don't think I have ever felt so…comfortable being with a man as I felt with Klaus."

"You don't regret it then?" Elena couldn't stop herself from asking.

"No. I don't feel a single ounce of regret for having sex with Klaus. Tyler and I have been over for a while now, whether or not I have admitted it aloud. And Klaus isn't the same man we knew…he is so different here. The way he looks at me, it makes me feel like I am the only thing in the world that he sees. Have you ever felt that way?"

Elena was quiet for a moment, thinking hard on her past male experiences. Matt had worshiped her, treated her like she was the air he breathed, but she had found that smothering, not romantic. Stefan did sometimes look at her like she was the only thing that mattered to him, but every once in a while, especially after she had learned about Katherine, sometimes she wondered if he was really seeing her, or Katherine. It was the same for Damon, and she also wondered if his interest was to finally get the girl over Stefan, like a challenge he needed to win. "No, I don't think I have." Elena answered after her thoughts had played out, "But I am glad that you have Care. You, more than anyone, deserve to have a man that wants you because of who you are."

"So do you Elena. Don't count yourself short." Caroline replied and sat down on the bed next to Elena, "I think that the only way you will find it though is to get yourself out of your love triangle with Stefan and Damon. Either pick one or let them both go. This life isn't fair to you or them."

"I know, I know. The decision just is not as easy as one would think." Elena sighed and laid down with her head on the pillow, her feet behind Caroline's back.

"I would never think that choosing between two men you deeply care about would be an easy decision. Just even allowing myself to admit the truth I felt with Tyler and Klaus was enough to drive me insane." Caroline admitted, and started playing with her daylight ring to give her hands something to do.

"What was the thing that changed your mind about Klaus?" Elena asked suddenly, sitting up and leaning her back against the wall, and hugged her knees to her chest.

Caroline moved and copied Elena's position before answering, "It was him…truthfully it really was just him. He treats me so wonderfully. During that first night in the caves he kept me calm. Being around all that pumping blood, with everyone's emotions running so high because of the wolves, it was getting too much for me. That was why I disappeared as soon as I could. Even with your blood, I needed to get as far away from everyone as I could. Klaus followed me and somehow, he kept me calm without even really knowing what it was that was bothering me."

"Why did you not tell me that before?" Elena asked, suddenly very concerned Caroline had told her about her need for space, but hadn't told her how Klaus had helped her stay in control.

"I didn't want to bother you with it. You have enough on your plate, you shouldn't have to listen to all of my little problems." Caroline assured Elena.

"Are you sure? I know going off human blood to animal blood can't be easy." Elena asked.

"Yeah, I have never been too keen on the animal thing but it is my only option here. I am not at all comfortable with taking and compelling, you know that. Which is why I kill a very large deer every full moon day." Caroline confirmed, and then added, "You aren't upset, are you?"

"No Caroline, I am not upset." Elena told her, "I just want you to be happy and you know who Klaus becomes in our time. I don't want us to get back there and have him be the same man that we left behind and have you feel this way."

Caroline closed her eyes and took a deep breath, she hadn't ever thought of that as a possibility. She knew now she was falling in love with Klaus and she had always felt attracted to him, even before they had come to the past. That was the reason after all that she had allowed him to kiss her after only being here a week. She opened her eyes quickly when she heard footsteps approaching the door, "Ayanna is coming."

"Good evening Elena. Caroline." She said and went straight to sit across from Caroline and waited for Elena to sit down as well before adding, "I think I have found the solution to your problem."

"You know how to send us back?" Elena said almost jumping up in excitement.

"I do, but it will be complicated and time consuming." Ayanna started to explain, "It has to be done in unison with the witch that cast the original spell and must be cast under the same lunar event."

"How do we manage that?" Caroline asked, thinking that just maybe they would be stuck in the past forever, "Have you figured out how to make the memory spell temporary?"

"Yes, if the 'Originals' are present at the time I cast your return spell, I can use that magic signature to perform a memory spell on them. The return spell from here will hide their memories of you but that spell will be removed when the witch casts the spell that sent you here. This way the future will not change due to your presence here but it will still allow you a way to return to your time." Ayanna explained, her eyes staying focused completely on the fire.

"Okay, when would be the right time to do this?" Elena asked, trying not to get her hopes too high, there were a lot of variables involved in this plan. "What time of year was it when you left?" Ayanna asked in return.

"Umm, early June." Caroline answered, only really knowing the answer because they had finally graduated from high school, the last two years seemed like it took closer to four.

"Alright, I do not know what that means. Had the summer solstice passed?" Ayanna replied to Caroline's answer.

"No." Elena responded, trying to remember the date of that correctly, "I think it was still a few weeks away."

"Good, that will be the date we choose then." Ayanna confirmed.

"But it is winter, you are saying we will have to wait another five months to go home?" Caroline asked, her voice sounding a bit desperate.

"Yes, it must be done with a heavy celestial event. A solstice is the perfect timing and the winter one has already past. If we miss this chance, we will have to wait another half year." Ayanna informed them, "Just go along with your lives as you were. When spring comes we will discuss this more."

"Okay." Elena said quietly, still not fully believing that there was finally a chance they were headed home.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. I have to travel to the neighboring village, which is a two day trip. I will most likely be there for over a week. You two will be on your own. I have asked Esther and Mikael to check in on your to make sure you are alright." Ayanna informed them, causing Caroline to look up from gazing absently at the fire.

"That really isn't necessary Ayanna, we can take care of ourselves." Caroline assured her.

"I am aware of that, but it would not proper to leave the two of you alone." She said, her voice leaving no room for agreement, "Mikael or Esther will be checking with you daily. I will see you girls in a few weeks." Ayanna didn't wait for a further response, instead she just turned and walked the short distance to her private room.

Elena watched the door close slowly, not sure whether to be happy that a plan was finally in motion for them to leave or to keep her hopes in check in case something went wrong, like it usually did. One look at Caroline told her she wasn't alone in her thoughts.

* * *

 

"Niklaus!" Mikael yelled and it was followed by the sound of a door slamming shut.

Klaus flinched at his father's voice and rose quickly from the table he was sitting at with the rest of this family, "Father…." Klaus started to say but stopped when he noticed his father's rage.

"Do not speak!" Mikael roared and stopped in front of his middle son, "I do not believe for a second that the girl's story is the truth. I am sick of you bringing disgrace and rumor to this family."

"Father, I have not…" Klaus began but the hand to his cheek stopped his words.

"I don't wish to hear your lies boy." Mikael spat at him, "Tomorrow, I want you to go hunting near the falls. Make it a two day trip, that should put you home just before the next full moon."

"Father, you want Niklaus to go on a two day hunting trip alone?" Elijah ventured, trying to keep his tone calm.

"That was going to be the plan, do you disagree with me Elijah?" Mikael asked, turning to face his eldest, with only a little less hate visible in his features.

"Yes Father." Elijah braved, "At this time of year it would be unwise to be alone in the woods for an extended period of time." Mikael seemed to be considering Elijah's words carefully, plus he had very little faith in Klaus' ability to actually bring anything home with him, "Fine, you will go with him Elijah. I want both of you to leave first thing in the morning."

"Yes Father." The brothers responded in unison before Mikael stormed off to the private room he shared with Esther, who followed close behind her husband.

"You did not have to do that Elijah." Klaus told his brother, sitting back down at the table with his other siblings.

"I do not like the idea of you out on your own for two days, especially now when the bears are waking from their hibernation." Elijah replied.

"I am glad you aren't going alone Nik." Rebekah added, "I will be much calmer while you are gone if the two of you are together. I've been getting a bad feeling for a few days."

"Yes, yes so glad you won't spend two night by yourself." Kol piped in and then, with curiosity laced in very word, asked, "So Nik, why _were_ you so late?"

"I just ran into a distraction, nothing that concerns you Kol." Klaus responded, sending a glare at his younger brother.

"You just can't help yourself, can you Niklaus?" Finn questioned suddenly from his seat before standing and walking off toward his own bed area, "I just hope your actions don't get you into even more trouble in the future."

Klaus didn't reply to his older brother, not really seeing the point in defending himself to the retreating back.

As his door closed however, Kol put in his two cents, "Always bringing joy to a conversation that one." His comment caused the other four to crack grins but none were brave enough to let out a true laugh within the hearing of their father.

"We should all retire for the evening. It will be a long next few days." Elijah informed them and slowly stood from the table, making his way to the room he shared with Finn. The others also got up from the table and made their ways to their own rooms, none speaking another word.

* * *

 

Klaus stopped running when he reached his destination, the location of his previous home, which now happened to be the cemetery. He heard the footsteps slowly approaching him from behind, and knew right away who they belonged to, "Glad to see you back mate. Though I don't remember giving you permission to leave in the first place."

"I am my own person, I don't need your permission to do anything." Tyler spat back, stopping a good six feet from his previous master.

"If you say so." Klaus replied sarcastically, "Did your little vacation yield anything special for you?"

"I already told you, I am my own person." Tyler responded, smiling fully, "You no longer get to tell me what to do."

"Figured out a way to get rid of that little sire bond did you?" Klaus asked, his voice laced with anger at the thought. He planned to use that bond to force Tyler to leave town again before Caroline returned, insuring he would be able to keep her all to himself.

"Yep, all I had to do was break my bones a few hundred times for the girl that I love." Tyler informed the Original, not holding back his confidence in the matter.

"And what makes you so sure if was all worth it?" Klaus asked the young boy, deciding to dash all his little hopes and dreams about his life.

"Caroline was worth every pain." Tyler replied, "I've heard about your little obsession with her. That will now end." Tyler threatened, but he could see it did not have the desired effect.

"Oh, I would of course listen to you, but I am not sure that is what Caroline would wish to happen." Klaus said and leaned leisurely against the façade of the Salvatore crypt behind him.

"Of course it is!" Tyler yelled, his voice rising in anger at what Klaus was suggesting, "She loves me."

"That might have been true at one time, but things change Tyler. Do you know where Caroline is at this moment?" Klaus questioned, keeping his body relaxed while his voice was demanding.

"In the past." Tyler answered simply, his face falling in confusion, trying to figure out Klaus' line of thought.

"One thousand years in the past to be more detailed. She is currently spending a lot of quality time with myself and my family. Lots can change with time Tyler, you should think on that." Klaus told the boy with a telling smirk and flashed off.

Tyler could do nothing but stare into the empty space now in front of him, confusion and anger slowly contorting his features.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for reading! I am going to attempt to update with at least two chapters on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.


	11. Discoveries

On the third morning after their conversation with Ayanna, Caroline brought up a subject that had been plaguing her since her special encounter with Klaus, "I want to stop lying to Klaus."

"What?" Elena said, almost choking on her bread.

"I want to tell Klaus the truth, Rebekah too actually. I am sick of lying to them, especially when we will just have to tell them the truth eventually." Caroline explained, taking a bite out of piece of bread of her own.

"I thought we would do that once they became vampires, it will be so much easier to explain then." Elena responded, though she had been thinking the same thing, she had promised Elijah they would work through everything together, and knowing she was in fact going to return home was something she wanted to share.

"Well, we do have proof for it, I am a vampire. We can have them over tonight and tell them everything." Caroline insisted, not sure where her sudden need to tell Klaus the truth was coming from, but she needed it to happen.

"Caroline, they won't believe us, or even if they do, they might not want to be our friends anymore. Once they are vampires they will understand everything we are saying so much easier." Elena pushed, trying to convince Caroline, she didn't want to lose Elijah and Rebekah.

"I don't think they will leave us." Caroline insisted, "Please Elena, you know I am not good at being deceptive, especially not in the long hall. I need to tell Klaus."

"I just don't think it…" Elena started but was interrupted by a knock at the door, "We will continue this later, please don't tell him before we talk again."

"I won't." Caroline confirmed as she went to get the door, "Esther? We weren't expecting you so early."

"Are Elijah and Niklaus here?" She asked, her voice slightly frantic, as she pushed her way inside.

"No, we haven't seen them in a few days." Elena answered, standing quickly.

"You're sure?" Esther asked, her voice full of panic, "They didn't return home last night."

"Where were they supposed to be?" Caroline asked, her voice with an edge to it that Elena had never heard.

"Hunting some deer near the falls. Mikael, Kol and Finn are out looking for them now." Esther said before heading back toward the door, "Please, let me know if they show up here." And she left before the either girl could respond to her.

"I need to go find them." Caroline said looking at Elena with determination.

"You go, I will be with Rebekah, she will need some support with her brothers missing. I know you'll find them." Elena replied, and both headed out in different directions.

* * *

 

Caroline rushed to the falls, she passed Mikael, Kol and Finn about half way there and stayed well out of sight. She took a minute to eavesdrop on their discussion, it was clear that Mikael thought this was surely Klaus' fault while the others were just concerned for their brothers' safety. Mikael's insensitivity at the possibility of his sons being gravelly injured was really bothering her. But she had to put those thoughts aside because finding them was of much more important. Caroline found it very interesting how strong Klaus and Elijah's scents were, even after a full day and night. Klaus' was much more intense to her, it was probably her intimate relationship with him that made it so easy for her to recognize him. She followed the scent all the way to the falls and found the place where they had rested.

Caroline searched the surrounding area, but couldn't find another trace of them, until she came across a trail heading off to south, "Where do you two think you are going?" She said aloud before speeding after the scent. Caroline followed the scent for nearly five miles before it suddenly disappeared, she came to a sudden halt and backed up slowly until she found it again. But it didn't continue, it just ended, which made no sense. It should continue because they were not there. She looked around and honed her ears, but she did not see or hear anything.

"Klaus! Elijah!" She yelled and then waited ten seconds before yelling their names again, "Klaus! Elijah! Can you hear me?" When ten minutes had passed with nothing, Caroline slowly backtracked, hoping she had missed something along the way. Convinced she had because two people didn't just disappear, not when a vampire was tracking you. Caroline had never felt more like the hunter that Damon always claimed they were then she did in this moment. Only, she wasn't hunting for prey, she was hunting for her friends.

"Klaus! Elijah!" She yelled about a quarter mile back up the trail she had been following. The scent had shifted again, leading west instead of south. _What were they thinking?_ She thought as once again started following his smell, _Being stupid men, going off where they were supposed to be and getting lost. They should know better, it isn't like they are children._

She followed the new trail for over a mile when a few new scents joined it, bear and blood. Her pulse quickened and her already heightened senses sharpened instantly. The blood was Elijah's, of that she was sure. She didn't need to follow it far before she came on the carcass of the bear and nearby there was also one of a deer. The bear had arrows sticking out of its side and there were multiple knife wounds as well. From the sight and smell of it, she guessed it was killed sometime yesterday afternoon. Elijah's blood was still in the air but so was the bear's and she could also detect another human's as well. _Both of them were injured, after being attacked by a bear,_ her brain supplied for her.

Caroline's mind went into overdrive, they would have gotten as far away from the bear as possible, knowing it would attract other predators. The scene was too overpowering on her senses for her to figure out which direction they went in, she needed to get out of the kill site and make a large circle around it. The blood would at least be easier to track than just their smell at least. She was relieved when she found their trail and it was heading south again, but it was still too far west, they wouldn't pass anywhere near the village. Caroline ran as quickly as her legs would carry her and after a mile found where they must have made camp the night before. A fire pit was present as well as the large stink of blood, Elijah was losing a lot more than Klaus, by the scent, but Klaus wasn't doing too well either. Caroline noticed for the first time that it was starting to get dark, meaning they would have to stop, but she wouldn't. Figuring that they were both injured, she guessed that she would find them within the next hour. She wasn't off by much, two miles later, she caught the smell of smoke and knew she had found them. It wasn't until she could see the fire and the two figures huddled by it that she realized how strange this was going to seem to them. A young woman had found them by herself, a good two day hike from the village, and not even close to where they should be. Her mind kept coming back to the only thing it could, the truth, there was no lie she could come up with that would explain any of it. Plus, from the amount of blood she could smell, telling the truth was also the only way to save Elijah's life, possibly Klaus' as well.

She took a deep breath, and whispered, "I'm sorry Elena, but you'll understand." Before yelling, "Klaus! Elijah! Can you hear me?"

"Over here!" She heard Klaus yell and watched him slowly climb to his feet, in the darkness he couldn't see her, but she could see him.

"Klaus!" She yelled and ran to him, making sure to slow down to a walk as she entered the circle of light.

"Caroline? What are you doing here?" He asked, and he looked like he was seeing a ghost.

She guessed that his paleness was a mixture of blood loss and surprise. "I came looking for you." She replied and stepped up to him, leaning up to kiss him gently on the lips, "I am so glad I found you before it was too late. I promise I will explain everything, but right now you need to sit and let me heal you."

"Heal me? How can you do that? You are not witch and I am afraid that magic is the only thing that could save us right now." He said, but sat down anyway, probably from exhaustion.

Caroline didn't answer him, instead she just went and knelled next to Elijah, who she noticed was unconscious and his breathing was labored. His wounds were terrible and she felt her face turn from the temptation.

"It attacked him from behind, neither of us heard a thing until it was on top of him." Klaus told her as she looked over his brother, her back to him.

"He will be fine." Caroline responded, and bit into her wrist. She tilted Elijah's head back and dripped the blood down his throat. The wound closed and she opened it again, making sure that enough of it got into his system, and trying to keep her blood lust under control. She noticed his reflexes kicked in and he swallowed, the wounds slowly started to heal.

"What are you…..doing?" Klaus managed to ask in a breathless voice, he come over to sit next to her, and her face shocked him.

"Healing him." She answered, and turned to look at Klaus, her face still contorted. Caroline slowly inched closer to Klaus, who she could tell was doing his best not to show fear, and opened the wound a third time, "Now it is your turn, drink."

Klaus looked at her wrist then into her eyes before bringing his lips to the bloody wound, his eyes never left hers.

Caroline watched the brothers sleep for nearly an hour before she left the camp to hunt for herself. She had used a lot of energy and given a lot of blood today. Klaus had drifted asleep when he had stopped drinking her blood. It had given her a moment to break down in relief and then in doubt, what if Klaus wanted nothing to do with her when he woke. He had seen her vampire side, experienced a part of it. Things could never be the same again, and she was saddened at the thought. The only thing she could find were three rabbits, not filling but they would do for now. She returned to the camp slowly, afraid of what would happen in the morning, but that was still quite a while off.

Caroline stopped dead when she noticed Klaus was standing up, staring into the fire, his back was to her at the moment. She almost turned and ran away, but she was Caroline Forbes, she did not run from her problems, she faced them. "You should still be resting." She said, making sure to announce her presence well before getting close to him.

"I feel much better. Better than I can ever remember feeling before if I am telling the truth." He replied, turning to look at her. She was surprised to see that there was no fear in his eyes, and no hate either, "What are you Caroline?"

"I am a vampire." She answered, stopping about two feet away from him.

"What is a vampire? Is Elena one as well?" He asked, not moving.

"No, Elena is human. A vampire is an immortal creature, we live off of the blood of other creatures." She gave the very simple version.

"How did you become a …vampire?" He asked, his eyes searching hers.

"That does not matter right now. I promise, one day you will know everything, but today is not that day." Caroline replied, and then swallowing her fear, "Why are you not afraid of me? You should be."

"Why should I be? I do not believe that you would go through all the trouble of finding us, just to kill us yourself." Klaus answered, as if it was the simplest reason in the world. He took a step closer and brought his hand up to her cheek, slowly caressing it, "Besides, you have had more than enough opportunities to kill me love. I do not believe you will kill me now, not after everything we feel for each other."

"How can you have such faith in me?" Caroline wondered, her eyes filling with tears as her hand reached up to grab the hand at her cheek, "I have lied to you since the day we met."

"Because, I love you Caroline. Whether you are an immortal creature or the human girl I believed you to be." He closed the gap between them even more, only inches separated them, "I know why you did not tell me. I could not be trusted before, you did not know me. But the fact that you are willing to show yourself to me now, speaks more than any words you could you say."

Caroline closed her eyes as he kissed her slowly, sensually. When they broke apart, she whispered, "I love you too. Now, and forever." She felt him smile against her lips before he captured them again, this kiss was not sensual, it was full of passion. And Caroline didn't protest when he slowly lowered their bodies to the ground and his hand found a way under her skirt.

* * *

 

Elena cradled Rebekah's head in her lab as the girl had finally fallen into an exhausted sleep. There had been no word from anyone and it had gotten everyone believing in the worst. Rebekah had been crying when Elena had arrived and hadn't stopped until she no longer had any tears to spill. Esther had been trying to do a location spell but her emotions were causing the spell to be unsuccessful. Henric had spent the entire day trying to strong for his mother and sister, but Elena could see how afraid the young boy was. Elena eased Rebekah's head off her lab and laid it on the pillow nearby before she went to sit next to the young man by the fire, "You should try to get some sleep Henric, you never know what tomorrow could bring."

"How can you be so calm Elena?" Henric asked, annoyance clear in his voice.

"I have faith that your brothers will return to us alive. I don't want to be thinking the worst, that doesn't help anyone." Elena explained, though her true reasons were much different. She knew Elijah and Klaus were alive simply because she knew they were still alive a thousand years from now.

"Where is Caroline? Why isn't she here with us?" Henric questioned, and it wasn't the first time that it had been asked either.

"I already told you, she just wants to be alone right now." Elena responded, knowing that her lie was not going to be acceptable for long, "And you really should go to bed. Your mother and sister are going to need you to be in top shape tomorrow."

Henric nodded in agreement and wondered off toward his room, as he reached the door he stopped and turned around, "I am glad you are here to help Elena. Thank you."

"You're welcome Henric." She said with a smile and watched the boy who was destined to die go into this room.

"I must thank you as well." Esther voice said suddenly from the front door, causing Elena to jump in surprise. "There really is…." Elena started to say but Esther stopped her.

"You are a good thing for my daughter Elena, she really needed your support on a day like today." Esther continued, "I only hope that you remain that way. My children don't need any extra complications to their lives."

"Esther, I promise. I would never do anything to harm Rebekah or any of your other children." Elena assured the woman, unsure as to where this sudden hostility was coming from.

"I want to believe you Elena, I truly do. But I have seen what girls have done to my children in the past and I do not wish to witness it again. You and your sister would be smart to keep that mind." Esther warned and walked off toward her own room, "Thank you again for your support at this hard time."

Elena watched the door close with new feelings of fear and confusion lacing through her system. She slowly got up and rejoined Rebekah on her bed, and laid there in the darkness, her thoughts running wild. _Esther just threatened us not to hurt her children, why would she have any reason to think we would ever do such a thing? Caroline might not be ready to admit it but she was in love with Klaus and would never do anything to harm him. Rebekah is a close friend, or she will be when we stop lying to her, we would never hurt her either. As for Elijah, if his feelings change from friendship, then I might hurt him accidently but I would never do anything to him on purpose, I trust him completely. Esther should just stick her own business, if she wasn't so meddling none of this would have ever happened in the first place. I really need to talk to Caroline_. Was Elena's last thought before sleep finally overtook her.

* * *

Elijah wasn't even sure why he decided to pay a visit to the Mystic Grill, but it seemed like a better idea than sitting around at home. The chime above the door sounded and he looked up as the Lockwood boy came storming in, heading straight for his friend Matt, who was busy at work. A presence in the chair next to him caused him to say, "I am surprised the boy is still alive."

"I can't kill him, she would be too upset with me." Klaus responded and ordered himself a very strong drink.

"It is very odd to hear you talk about caring about someone else's feelings." Elijah commented and took a sip of his own drink.

"It is even odder to suddenly care about someone else's feelings brother." Klaus replied, "If I had never forgotten her, do you believe I would have become a different person?"

Elijah was shocked at the deepness of the question, and though hard on it, "Yes, and no. I don't think you would have cared so much about breaking your curse but I think the waiting for her would have been very trying on you and would have still caused many of your rampages."

Klaus let out a deep chuckle, "Look at me. Who would have guessed that a blonde beauty could have reduced me to this love sick sap in only a few short months?"

"You were a very different man back then." Elijah commented, but laughed at the situation none the less.

"What I find the most interesting though, I feel for her twice. Once as a human and once as a hybrid a thousand years later." Klaus said and finished his drink.

"Did you really fall for her in this time, or were just after the challenge of a woman who could actually resist you?" Elijah questioned, knowing his brother's love of the game.

"That really was how it started out but then, she just kept refusing me. The more she resisted, the more intrigued I became. Not many women have caught my attention like she had over the years, I just couldn't let her go without at least putting in a good effort." Klaus explained, and then laughed again, "Turns out, what I should have done was just talk to her. Seemed to work for me in the past."

Elijah chuckled and finished his drink as well, "Love can come from the most unexpected places brother." And unbidden, an image of Elena popped into his head, and he smiled unconsciously at the thought.

Klaus noticed the change in his brother's features and with a smile responded, "No one knows that better than us."


	12. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elijah learns the truth; Elena has a confrontation

Caroline woke up to the sound of groaning from across the fire. She moved to look and Klaus' arms tightened around her, the action made her smile, but she still eased herself out of them. Trying to be quite enough not to wake Klaus, Caroline crept over to Elijah, she stroked some hair out of his face, and whispered, "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Caroline? What are you doing here?" Elijah asked, his voice a little raspy and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I found you two last night and did my best to heal your wounds." Caroline answered, checking to make sure he was really completely healed, "How are you feeling?"

"I do not feel as though I am going to die anymore." Elijah commented, cracking a small smile, "How did you manage that?"

"She is something amazing brother." Klaus responded, appearing on Elijah's other side, and clutching his hand, "She saved our lives." Klaus looked at Elijah closely, "I was so worried that I would wake this morning to your dead body."

"Your lovely Caroline insured that would not happen Niklaus." Elijah replied and looked at Klaus carefully, checking to make sure he was alright as well.

Caroline had never really seen the resemblance or love between them until that moment, and it almost made her want to cry for what could have been loosed.

"Yes that she did." Was all Klaus was able to say, and smiled at Caroline, who couldn't look away.

"I couldn't let you two die, you are my friends." Caroline responded, trying to keep her voice level.

"How did you find us Caroline?" Elijah asked, his serious voice back. Caroline looked at Klaus, her eyes full of panic, "I am…Elijah, I am…" She couldn't get the words out.

"Caroline is something more than human brother and she is also the only reason you are alive right now." Klaus said for her, shifting his eyes between Caroline and Elijah before keeping them on his brother, "She is a vampire, though I am not completely sure what that means. Caroline was able to find us within a day and not even relatively close to where we said we would be. Her blood healed us both of wounds that would surely have killed us. I would say she was more like our guardian angel."

"I am no angel." She said, and smiled at Elijah, "Allow me to show you Elijah, it might make everything a bit more understandable. Klaus, can I have your wrist please?"

"Of course darling, I trust you." He said and held his arm straight out for her.

Caroline took a deep breath and felt her face shift. She sank her fangs into Klaus' wrist and took a long draft of it, the taste of human blood again after so long was nearly intoxicating. She forced herself to stop, licked the last of the blood off her lips, and looked at Elijah. His face had paled and he was looking at her like she was monster, which she was, "I know it can be frightening, but I will never hurt you Elijah, or anyone else that we care about." She looked at Klaus, and realized he looked a little paler than he should, she slight her wrist, and held it out to him, "I am sorry, I took too much."

"No, it is fine love." He insisted, but she gave him a look that didn't leave room for an argument. Klaus sighed but took a bit of the blood into his system and watched Elijah's eyes grow larger as he watched the wound on his brother's wrist close. "Amazing is it not?" Klaus uttered, and Caroline was amazed at how much he must truly love her to not even flinch.

"I guess that is a word for it." Elijah managed to say, "Is Elena a…what you are as well?"

"No, Elena is human." Caroline said, watching Elijah closely. And noticed the small sigh of relief that fluttered across his features at the thought that Elena was not the monster she was, "I know you have a lot of questions and I promise that we will answer all of them, but right now we really need to get back to the village. And fast. Your family is half convinced you are dead and the full moon is tomorrow night."

"Yes, we cannot be out here when that happens. The wolves will tear us apart." Elijah agreed and slowly got to his feet, "How far are we from the village?"

"Two, maybe three days if we stop at night." Caroline explained, "You guys wandered too far west, it will take time to recover that."

"We have to stop at night, we can't see in the dark." Klaus sighed, trying to figure out how to make the timing work.

"I can." Caroline answered, "If you trust me and you can handle the labor, I can led us at night." Elijah locked eyes with Klaus and Caroline could see they were having a private conversation with their expressions, she decided to let them use words, "I am going to find us some water. You two talk." She ran off before either could protest, not afraid to show them her vampire speed anymore.

The brothers were silent in shock for a moment as the stared at the place Caroline was standing less than 5 seconds earlier. Elijah broke the silence first, "How are you so confident that we can trust her?"

"How can you not be? Caroline came all this way to save us Elijah. She could have easily just remained at home and forgotten all about us. She searched this forest to find us Elijah, to bring us home, and to bring us home alive. If Caroline had wanted us dead all she had to do was nothing, you would not have awoken this morning and I would not have made it through another night.." Klaus explained, his voice raising in anger at his brother's doubts of Caroline.

"You saw what she became Niklaus!" Elijah said in return, "She isn't human."

"Why does it matter what she is? She is still Caroline and I love her Elijah." Klaus informed his brother, getting to his feet.

"I already knew you loved her, but do you still? She just revealed that she had been keeping a large part of herself a secret from you." Elijah questioned and watched his brother turn around to start picking up their meager possessions.

"She had her reasons brother and I accept those reasons." Klaus said firmly and turned on his brother, "If she had said that Elena was a…vampire, like herself, would you be reacting the same way?"

The question made Elijah pause, he had been relieved when Caroline had informed him that Elena was human, not a monster. But then, besides from her physical appearance, when had Caroline ever acted as a monster? "I honestly don't know Niklaus." He replied and felt a form of shame overcome him.

"Stop treating Caroline as someone else then. She has done nothing but save your life, and mine. Be grateful." Klaus chided his brother before going about putting out the fire.

"I will." Elijah said, surprised that his brother was able to put him in his place. He was pretty sure that had never happened before.

Caroline knew that the brothers needed some time alone to talk but they couldn't waste any more time. The closer it got to tomorrow night the worse off they were going to be, she knew that the werewolves would be attracted to her scent, putting them all in great danger. Klaus wasn't the cure yet, he was still just a human, not the Original Hybird, a werewolf bite would kill her. Caroline half expected to come upon them arguing but instead they were sitting in silence, all their belongings packed and the fire put out. Klaus got to his feet and smiled at her as she walked closer, "We are ready to go home love. Led the way."

"Are you sure?" Caroline asked, looking past Klaus to Elijah, who had also gotten to his feet.

"Yes Caroline. I apologize for my earlier reaction, I was just in shock." Elijah explained and walked up to stand directly in front of her, "I also realize that I never have probably thanked you for saving my life."

"It really wasn't a problem Elijah. Just try not to make a habit out of it." Caroline joked with the elder Mikaelson and was pleased when he allowed a smile on his lips, "Well, if all of that is settled. Let's get moving."

* * *

 

Elena took in a deep breath of the fresh air around her as she sat outside of the Mikaelson home, needing a break from the constant worry and anger that seemed seeped into the very walls. Mikael, Kol, and Finn had returned early that morning, finding no sign of the brothers at the falls. Elena was beginning to worry, the sun was well past the midway point and tonight was a full moon. Caroline would be especially attractive to the wolves, which would put her and the men in greater trouble than a normal full moon night.

"What are you doing here?" A voice asked her suddenly and Elena turned her head to look at the person it belonged to.

"Supporting my friends in a time of need." Elena snapped, "What do you want?"

"I came to see if Elijah and Niklaus have returned yet." Tatia answered, not even trying to keep the anger at seeing Elena out of her voice.

"They haven't, so you can leave now." Elena replied, getting to her feet to stand face to face with her ancestor.

"Oh, I don't think I am ready to go just yet." Tatia responded and glared at Elena, "What are you really after Elena? I highly doubt you are just here to lend a comforting shoulder to that sad excuse for a young woman."

"Rebekah, is my friend and her brothers are missing. Those brothers also happen to be my friends and I worry for them. Don't doubt my motives Tatia, especially when yours are nowhere near honorable." Elena fought back, keeping her voice low so those people inside the house couldn't hear it, "Who are you here for anyway, Klaus or Elijah?"

"I am sure you would love it if I said Klaus, wouldn't you?" Tatia asked, avoiding the question before her and placing a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

"Actually, I wouldn't. Klaus has moved on Tatia, he doesn't want you anymore. My sister is making him very happy, happier than you ever did, I am sure." Elena informed Tatia, and enjoyed watching as the smug smirk feel from her face, "As for Elijah, give it a little more time and he will never need to think about you again."

"You think you are so much better for him than I am, don't you?" Tatia snapped, her voice full of anger, and she stepped so she was barely an inch away from her, "I just want you to know something Elena. Elijah will always be thinking of me, no matter what he says to you, I will always be there in the back of his mind. The same goes for Niklaus, your little blonde tramp of a sister won't be able to hold his attention forever. Eventually both of them will come crawling back to me."

Elena didn't back down and felt herself have a reaction she was not used to having, the need to be cruel, and replied, "Don't count on it. I am willing to bet that you will die before they ever touch you again."

"Is that a threat little girl?" Tatia asked, her voice took on a threat of its own.

"No, just a forewarning." Elena answered, a tone in her voice she had never used before, and turned away to go back into the house but for some reason turned around and added, "I would stay far away from this family if I were you."

She watched as Tatia stormed off and felt very proud of herself for showing up the older girl. Elena walked into the house and realization of her actions hit her, that wasn't her. Elena Gilbert was not the type of girl who purposely hurt the feelings of others, no matter how rude they were. And her only thoughts were, _It is happening, I am becoming them_.

"Oh Caroline, where are you?" Elena whispered as she went to sit by a very concerned Rebekah.

* * *

 

The sky was getting darker and darker by the second but she was pretty sure they were only a few miles from the caves by now. They would make it, if they hurried. "We really need to pick up the pace." Caroline told the two very tired men that followed her.

"We should make it just fine Caroline." Elijah said, trying to keep the young girl positive, her nerves were becoming noticeably undone with the darkening sky.

"You don't understand. We need to run, we have to be hidden before the moon rises." Caroline insisted, she stopped walking and turned to look at them. She took in their exhaustion and didn't think her suggestion would be happening.

"I don't think I could." Klaus commented, they had been walking almost nonstop for over a day and half now. Every muscle in his body ached and all he wanted to do was sit and sleep for days.

"The werewolves will be attracted to my scent. Our only options are for us to run to the caves or for me to run away and hopefully led the wolves away from you." Caroline informed them, watching their faces carefully.

"We will not let you run off of you own." Klaus said, his voice holding a firm finality to it that Caroline was all too familiar with.

"I agree, but I do not think I could run 5 feet let alone two or three miles." Elijah added and leaned against a nearby tree, his chest heaving heavily. Caroline looked down at the ground, trying to think through her fear and frustration to come up with a solution. She was also so hungry, she hadn't eaten at all since she had found them and showed Elijah her nature by drinking from Klaus. Their blood was pounding so strongly now with all of the exercise. Then it hit her, the solution to their problem. She snapped her head up, "You will each need to take some of my blood. It should give you some extra strength, hopefully enough to allow you to run."

"Are you sure love? Won't that weaken you?" Klaus asked, coming to stand directly in front of her and put his hands on her upper arms.

"I will be fine." She insisted and bit into her wrist before holding it up to Klaus, "Drink, now."

He didn't question her and took a large drink of her blood before pulling away, "I do feel better." He commented as she went to stand in front of Elijah and repeated the process.

"I don't know how I feel about this." Elijah said warily and the wound on Caroline's wrist closed.

"You have to Elijah, please trust me on this." Caroline whispered and reopened the wound for a third time.

Elijah gently took some her blood, not nearly as confidently as Klaus had done, but she was sure it would be enough.

"Good, now. Run!" She yelled at them and watched as they both started heading in the direction of the caves.

They knew this area well and moved with that confidence. Twenty minutes later they stood at one of the many entrances to the caves, the moon had risen a few minutes earlier. Lone howls rang out through the trees as the three of them quickly descended into the darkness and into safety. Caroline waited until they were far into the caves before they were allowed to stop and catch their breath. She could hear others in the caves but they were too far away to stumble across the three of them.

"Alright, I can hear your family, they are in the normal cave." Caroline commented, and then added, "We need to injure you guys again though."

"What?" Klaus asked, looking at her with confusion, squinting to try and make her out in the darkness.

"To make the story plausible for you to be gone so long, I need to recreate the wounds the bear gave you. I will just make sure not to go so deep with the cuts." Caroline repeated and could see he was not happy with the idea.

"She is right." Elijah said and pushed himself off the wall he had been catching his breath against, "Go ahead my dear." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"This is going to hurt, try not to scream." Caroline said and attacked his neck, trying to create the wound of an animal, not a vampire. The taste of fresh blood made her forget herself for a moment, until she heard Klaus' voice say harshly, "Caroline!"

She pulled away immediately and felt herself flush with shame, but Elijah was still alive and was clutching his neck. She took a deep breath and started slashing at him with a dagger she had taken from his belt, being careful to only cut over the slashes already in his clothing. Caroline was most impressed at how Elijah was so silent, only letting an occasional grunt as the blade cut his skin. "All done." Caroline whispered as she looked at a now severely bleeding Elijah, "I am so sorry."

"Do not fret, Mother and Ayanna will heal us once we reach them." Elijah insisted, but Caroline could hear how weak he was.

"Okay, Klaus, are you ready?" Caroline asked carefully, hating that she had to hurt him so harshly like this.

"Yes." He answered shortly and clenched his teeth as she started slashing him with the knife. The bear never bit Klaus, so she didn't have to either, but with each slice of his skin she felt like she was going to cry. He didn't even flinch after the first cut and never let a single sound escape him, his numbness to the pain worried her more than anything. "Done." She choked out and started walking before any either could say anything. She quickly wiped the tears away off of her cheeks, she knew it wouldn't be long before they returned though. They followed in silence, Klaus had his arm hooked under Elijah's to support him.

Caroline stopped them when a faded light appeared at the end of the tunnel, "Alright, you two go ahead."

"What about you?" Elijah asked, his breathing labored from his blood loss.

"I don't know what story Elena came up with for my absence, I should just stay out of sight. I will go spend the night in a different cave."Caroline said and looked at Klaus, "I will be in the cave from the first full moon if anyone wants to find me."

He simply nodded, and carried Elijah toward the light, after he put about ten feet between them he started to yell, "Help!" Caroline remained in the shadows as she watched them slowly disappear and listened to the concerned voices of their family come to their aid. She sighed in relief, they were finally all safe. She slowly made her way to her private cave, slid down against a wall, she felt the tears fall from her eyes and cried herself to sleep in her exhaustion.

* * *

 

Rebekah hated waiting, she did not have the attention span for such things, especially when she really wanted it. She wanted her friends back, she was sick of being alone, always alone. Over the last thousand years she had had her brothers, but they were always busy with something in their lives to pay attention to her for very long. Elena and Caroline had been with her because they had chosen to, because they wanted to. They had listened to her and comforted her. She just wanted her best friends back, her sisters. "You look like you could use a drink." A sweet voice commented and she heard a glass touch the table in front of her.

"Thanks." She said and smiled genuinely at the boy in front of her.

"No problem." Matt replied and sat down across from her. Rebekah noticed that he was wearing normal clothes, not his work uniform, "Why would you come to your work place on your day off?"

"I am supposed to be meeting Jeremy and Tyler, but neither seems to be concerned with being on time." Matt commented and took a sip of his own drink.

Rebekah followed suit and then squinted at the taste, "Diet Coke, seriously?"

"I can't compel people to give me alcohol." Matt teased and gave her that million dollar, all-American smile.

Rebekah returned the smile but then frowned, "Why are you being nice to me?"

"You were alone, I was alone. It seemed like a good idea to me." Matt replied and took another drink before adding, "It's sad that you can't just take a chance and trust that I can do something without an alternative motive."

"I don't have a very good track record in that department." Rebekah replied and eyed Matt carefully.

"Maybe you just need to take a chance. Not like you have to worry about me being able to kill you." Matt joked and then his eyes drifted to the door as the bell rang, "Tyler's here. I'll see you around Rebekah."

Rebekah watched Matt stand and said, "Thanks again for the drink."

"Anytime." Matt replied and walked over to join his friend at the pool table. Rebekah's eyes followed the young quarterback and her mind wandered to the possibilities. She had always had a fondness for Matt, that was why she had wanted him to be her date to Homecoming before Elena had stabbed her in the back. He was also one of the few people that had been nice to her from the beginning, or at least wasn't cruel. She would have to see what Elena and Caroline thought, after all, would it be weird if she fell for a boy that both of them had dated in the past?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I'd post on Tuesdays and that was yesterday....it just completely slipped my mind. Hope you liked it enough to forgive me :)


	13. Heart to Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings are discussed

"Help!" Echoed through the caves causing everyone to look up quickly from the uneaten meal. Elena watched as the Mikaelsons all jumped to their feet and ran off toward the sound, she stayed behind with Ayanna, hoping for the best. Her eyes widened as Mikael and Finn carried in a badly bleeding Elijah, Esther was pressing a cloth against his neck. Kol was helping a wounded Klaus with Rebekah and Henrik hovering close by, asking a million questions. It took all of Elena's strength to not rush to Elijah's side but she could see that Esther and Ayanna needed space to work on his wounds.

"What the hell happened?" Mikael yelled, his voice full of anger, at his younger son.

"We were attacked by a bear." Klaus answered, trying to keep his voice firm as Rebekah cleaned his wounds.

Elena could see that Mikael was barely keeping his anger in check, "Tell me everything. Why weren't you by the falls like you were supposed to be?"

"We were." He replied and flinched as Rebekah pressed especially hard against his arm, "Elijah shot a deer but it wasn't a kill, so we had to track it for a while. We found it again, killed it, and as we were preparing it for travel the bear attacked. I was about 15 feet away cutting the carrying stick. The bear came up and knocked him over from behind, then it bit into his neck. I shot it with an arrow once when it came at me I attacked him with my sword. Elijah was able to regain his feet and joined with his own sword. Together we were able to bring it down. Since then we have been slowly making our way home, trying not to bleed to death." Klaus informed his family but he was only watching his father.

Mikael did not respond to Klaus' words and went to check on how Elijah was doing.

Elena took the moment to join Rebekah and Klaus. She smiled sweetly at Klaus, "Are you going to be alright?"

Klaus looked her over carefully before saying, "I will be fine, I could use some water though."

"Allow me." Rebekah said quickly and jumped to her feet to get the drink for her brother.

Elena watched as Klaus' eyes followed his sister before he looked back at Elena, "Caroline found us two days ago, she is the only reason we are alive right now. She is in a cave nearby, head out and take the tunnel to the left. I am sure she will let you know where she is." He finished quickly before smiling back at his sister, "Thank you Bekah."

"I was so worried about you Nik." She whispered, looking over her brother's many wounds and having tears fill her eyes.

"Don't worry Rebekah, your brothers are now safe and sound." Elena said smiling at her friend and squeezed one of her hands, "They aren't going anywhere."

Rebekah smiled in response and then added, "Too bad Caroline won't get to know the happy news until the morning."

Elena felt her face fall but quickly recovered, "She will be thrilled, hopefully her fever breaks tonight. I am sure will be super happy to see you Klaus."

"Yes, as will I." Was Klaus' short answer and it caused both Elena and Rebekah to look at him in confusion before they were interrupted.

"Elijah is going to be fine." Esther said suddenly from above them, "He is sleeping now and will be out for the rest of the night. How are you feeling Niklaus?"

"Much better now Mother, you have taught Rebekah well." He answered, but Esther knelt down to look for herself.

Elena quietly excused herself and went to check on the sleeping Elijah. She knelt down next to him and brushed hair off his face, "I am so glad you are okay." She whispered before standing back up.

She noticed that everyone else in the cave was focusing on something, no one was looking at her. Elena took the opportunity to grab a blanket and sneak away, she needed to talk to Caroline.

Caroline could hear someone whispering her name, the sound slowly woke her from her uneasy slumber. She got up from the uncomfortable ground and headed toward the familiar voice, "Elena, over here." She called quietly to not startle her friend and watched as she came over. Caroline pulled Elena into a hug and felt the tears return.

Caroline felt Elena's hand start to rub comforting circle across her back and whisper, "Shhh, it's alright. Everyone is safe and everyone is alive. And that is all because of you." Caroline pulled away from Elena without a word and led her into the small secluded cave. She took the blanket from Elena and spread it out on the ground before pulling them both down into a sitting position.

"What did you say was the reason I haven't been seen for three days?" She chose to ask, not really sure if she wanted to share her real problem with Elena just yet.

"You have a high fever that is highly contagious. Ayanna was very supportive and Rebekah wanted me to stay with her all the time anyway, so it worked out really well." Elena explained, keeping her voice calm and even.

"I figured it was something, that was why I stayed back." Caroline said, her voice still held fragments of her tears.

"What happened to make you so upset?" Elena inquired, really worried about how Caroline was reacting right now.

"I had to Elena. I know you asked me not to, but I had to tell them. It was the only way to save their lives." Caroline managed to say before the tears fell again.

"Tell them what? That you are a vampire?" Elena asked, though she wasn't sure why she was surprised.

"Yes. Elijah was practically dead when I found them. Feeding him my blood was the only way to save his life, Klaus' as well." Caroline said, her voice breaking a bit with the words.

"How did they react?" Elena wondered aloud, thinking that for Caroline to be acting like this it couldn't have been good.

"Elijah reacted as expected, he was very suspicious and fearful." Caroline answered, and looked directly at Elena before continuing, "Klaus was…was…"

"Was he repulsed or something?" Elena put in, trying to help with Caroline's obvious loss of words.

"No! He actually called me his guardian angel." Caroline told Elena, her tears finally stopping, "He wasn't even slightly afraid of me Elena. I expected him to run or attack me or….anything but what he actually did."

"What did he do?" Elena prompted, though she had an idea.

"He told me he loved me." Caroline replied and watched as Elena's eyes widened, clearly that wasn't what she thought the answer was going to be.

Elena took a moment to process what Caroline just said and then could only think to ask, "What did you say to him in return?"

"I told him that I loved him as well." Caroline informed her friend, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Caroline!" Elena couldn't stop herself from exclaiming, and then asked, "Do you really love him?"

Caroline paused for a moment, trying to explain her feelings in way that Elena would understand and accept, "Yes, I am in love with him Elena. And before you scold me on how stupid that is or remind me off everything he will do, I want to explain myself. I never meant for any of this to happen. It almost seems like it was unavoidable, especially after he and I met in the woods for the first time. He is just so different from the man we know in the future but at the same time, I can see that man hiding beneath the surface. And, for a reason I can't understand, that just makes him even more attractive. There is also just this pull I feel for him, like a connection that refuses to be severed. And, in all honesty, I was attracted to him before, at home. He showed me a different side of him when he saved my life and escorted me at the ball. And then, the way he looked at me after I told him I was a vampire, it was just so powerful. How can you deny a man who looks at you with such reverence, especially after you just told him that you have been lying your entire relationship?"

Elena didn't know how to respond, all of Caroline's words were taking time to process. It was hard to believe that her best friend had fallen in love with the person that most tried to destroy their lives. But at the same time, Elena had noticed the differences in the Klaus they interacted with. He was not a power hungry monster, he was just a man that loved his siblings and enjoyed Caroline's company enough to throw Tatia away. "I know I have asked before but, what about Tyler?" Elena asked, trying to keep her voice level.

"Tyler and I are over Elena." Caroline said, her voice full of conviction, "I am with Klaus now and there is no going back from that. I wouldn't want to go back anyway."

"So, you are saying that when we return home you are going to dump Tyler and be with Klaus?" Elena clarified, having a hard time processing everything she was hearing.

"Yes, as long as Klaus wants me, I will be his Elena. And nothing you or anyone else says can change my mind on this." Caroline told her friend, her voice full of a finality that Elena wasn't sure she had heard Caroline use before.

"I won't try to sway you on this Caroline, it isn't my place." Elena defended, "But, don't expect me to be supportive of your relationship just yet. Klaus is still human, many of the things that shaped the personality we know he has in the future have not yet happened. Are you sure you will still love him then?"

"I already know everything he will do Elena. I highly doubt seeing him do them first hand will change my feelings for him." Caroline replied, and couldn't stop herself from adding, "It isn't like you haven't seen Stefan and Damon kill people Elena, it hasn't seemed to stop you from loving them."

"It isn't the…." Elena started to say but Caroline stopped her. "The same? It is at least similar Elena. Klaus will kill a human, trust me when I say the bloodlust is nearly impossible to control at first, so that can't be counted against him. His mother, in a lot of ways, brings it on herself. No one is perfect Elena."

Elena felt herself take a deep breath, she needed to control her emotions, this was not the right time to fight, "Maybe we should discuss this at another time, when we've both had some rest and are less emotional."

"That would probably be a good idea." Caroline agreed, and crossed her arms over her chest in frustration. She watched Elena stand and head back out into the tunnel, "Oh, Elena, Elijah was very happy to hear that you are not the monster I am."

"I don't think you are monster Care, you know that." Was Elena's only response as she slowly went back down the cave.

Caroline laid down on the blanket, and curled half of it around her, "I didn't even get to finish telling you everything." She whispered into the darkness and felt her tears return.

* * *

 

Elena gathered her things quietly as they prepared to vacate the caves. She was lost in her thoughts, most of about her conversation with Caroline last night but some of it about her talks with Esther and Tatia. She watched as Mikael and Finn carried a still sleeping Elijah out of the caves on a quickly made stretcher. Elena was so relieved he was going to be alright, though she always knew he would be, seeing him alive made it easier to believe. She went back to folding up her blankets when a voice said, "Elena, may I speak to you for a moment?" Elena turned and looked at Klaus carefully, his wounds were already healing thanks to magic, "Of course."

"It is about your sister." He clarified, seeing if she would still wish to speak.

"I spoke to her last night, she told me that you are aware of what she is." Elena told him, watching his reactions closely.

"I didn't doubt she had, I saw you sneak away last night." Klaus informed her and then got down to what he really wished to speak to Elena about, "I am also sure that Caroline has told you how she feels about me, and I about her."

"Yes." Elena confirmed shortly, waiting to see where he was going with this.

"I see the way you look at me sometimes Elena. You don't trust me. I just want you to know, that I love Caroline. I would never do anything to harm her. You have nothing to fear from me. Just let me know if there is ever something I can do to prove it to you." Klaus told her, his voice full of passion, "I will be with Caroline for as long as she will have me. And I do not want to make her life difficult by having you constantly be suspicious or fearful of me."

Elena didn't know what to say as he walked away, picking up some of the various supplies littered about the cave. She was completely blindsided by his words, both for his love of Caroline and his desire to prove himself. Maybe Klaus was different now, but Elena was sure she could never 100 percent trust him until they returned to the future and he released her from her blood-bank status.

* * *

Kol flopped onto the couch with a sigh, causing Klaus to look up from his drawing, "Problem little brother?"

"I think my time spent in that coffin dulled some of my charms." Kol lamented, letting out another sigh as he started playing with one of the pillows.

"No luck seducing the witch I am guessing?" Klaus asked, laughing at the thought.

"She just seems to be immune to my charms. I don't think I have ever had this much trouble before." Kol started to explain, "I really thought my little bit of magic experience might help me, but I think she just sees me as being cocky."

"Probably because you are." Rebekah commented as she walked into the room, a satisfied smile on her face, "You only ever used your magic as a trick or seduce the town girls anyway."

"Father forbid me from learning properly, you know that. Remember, 'No son of mine will learn the art of witchcraft, that is a woman's job.'" Kol stated, glaring at his sister.

"Oh, I remember, because the day after that Mother started testing me for magic." Rebekah responded, and sat on the couch next to him.

"Yeah yeah." Kol replied, "Now, back to right now. How can I convince Bonnie to give me a chance?"

Rebekah snorted in reply and Klaus chuckled but answered, "Try not trying."

"What kind of advice is that?" Kol asked, his voice frustrated, thinking his brother was joking.

"Good advice." Klaus replied, and smiled at his brother's misfortune.

"What would you know it?" Kol retorted, and pouted as he held the pillows closer.

"More than you." Rebekah responded for her Klaus, "Nik is the only one of us that has a loving relationship at the moment."

"Well, not this precise moment." Kol commented, and when he saw the glare he received from Klaus added, "Just joking, no need to give me that look."

Klaus didn't reply and went back to his drawing, but looked back up when Kol asked, "Why are you in such a good mood today Bekah?"

"Why can't I just be in a good mood, why does there have to be a reason?" Rebekah asked in return, avoiding the question.

"Because you, dear sister, are never in a good mood without a reason, it was one of your stronger personality traits." Kol explained and laughed when Rebekah hit him with another couch pillow.

"Nik, where are you keeping the daggers? I think Kol needs to take a nap for a few years." Rebekah inquired, her voice angry but clearly teasing as well.

"I think that is a little extreme Bekah, especially when it is the truth." Klaus replied, smiling at his sister's shocked face, "So, why are you so happy?"

Rebekah felt herself blush at the intense looks of her brothers, "I just had a pleasant conversation when I was at the Grill earlier. It was much better than the glares and snide comments I get at the Salvatore house."

"And who was this 'pleasant conversation' with?" Kol insisted, deciding not to let his off his sister off the hook.

"Why does it matter?" Rebekah tried, but could see from their expressions it wasn't going to work, "It was with Matt."

"Guess it was a good thing I didn't kill him the night of the party then." Kol responded and laughed as his sister gave him an evil look.

"Interesting choice Bekah." Klaus commented, "Decided to try out quarterbacks in this century?"

"Matt is nice to me, one of the few that are." Rebekah defended, "Besides, he was good enough for Elena and Caroline, so why shouldn't he be good enough for me?"

Klaus was surprised by her intense defense of her crush, and a glance at Kol said he felt the same, "It wasn't meant like that Bekah. If you want to go out with Matt, go out with Matt. You are a grown woman, you can make your own decisions."

Rebekah was shocked at Klaus' words but then leaned back with a sigh, "It doesn't really matter anyway. He is human, not much of a future there."

"Don't be so down Rebekah." Elijah put in from the doorway, it looked as though he had been leaning there for a while and none of them had noticed, "If he wants it, you can always turn him. And if he doesn't, well you shouldn't miss out on whatever joy you could find with him in the meantime."

"Are you going to take your own advice Elijah?" Kol asked, watching as his brother went to pour himself a drink.

"I have already told all of you. I will do as Elena wishes, and she just wants to be friends, nothing more." Elijah replied, his voice angry at the constant inquiry on this subject.

"And if she changes her mind and wants to be something more?" Rebekah asked, "Would you turn her to be with her forever?"

"Elena doesn't want to be a vampire, I would never force that life on her. Besides, she won't change her mind." Elijah answered and swallowed his drink in a single tip of his glass before walking out of the room. His entire demeanor asking to be left alone.

"I love Elena, but she is such an idiot." Rebekah commented as she heard a door slam somewhere in the mansion, "Missing such a great life by choosing the Salvatores over Elijah."

"I do not think that Elijah has such a strong grasp of Elena's feelings as he thinks." Kol commented, causing both his remaining siblings to look at him in confusion, "Hey, I know things. Things I am not allowed to reveal on pain of death."

"Who could threaten you and actually have you care about it?" Klaus asked, not even trying to hide his disbelief at the idea.

"That is part of the things I know that you can't." Kol answered, and decided to change the topic again, "So, back to the most important subject, how do I get Bonnie to sleep with me?"

Rebekah sighed and pushed herself off the couch, "Only a miracle will get you into Bonnie's bed. I suggest you just stop trying and find an easier target." She left the room as well, not wanted her brothers to ruin her mood any further.

"Come on Nik. You are good with challenging women." Kol insisted, practically begging his older brother for help.

"I already told you. Trust me, if you stop showing interest, she will wonder why and start coming after you." He informed Kol and went back to his drawing, putting some finishing touches on the page.

"That is genius! No wonder you have a girl." Kol commented and practically ran out the door to give his new plan a start.

Klaus shook his head and smiled before wondering aloud, "I wonder how happy Caroline and Elena will be that I helped my brother bed their best friend."


	14. Calm Before the Storm

Elena sat quietly at the spot she was pretty sure would one day become the Wickery Bridge, just watching the water flow by. It had been nearly three weeks since what was referred to as the 'bear incident', and Elena hadn't a chance to talk to Elijah at all. Esther had kept him confined to the house for nearly a week and since then, well, Elena was worried that Caroline's little confession had scared him off. She was also starting to worry that her conversation with Caroline that night in the caves had hurt their relationship. Neither had brought it up again and she didn't think they would. Elena had also made sure to not mention Klaus' talk to her either, she wasn't even really sure what to think of it herself. She was trying very hard to separate the man she interacted with now and the man that ruined her life nearly a thousand years from now, but it was easier said than done.

A sudden snap of a twig behind her caused her to jump as she turned to look at the sound, "I did not mean to frighten you." Elijah told her, gracefully moving to join her on the ground, "I hope you don't mind, but I followed you out here."

"No, I don't mind. How are you feeling?" She chose to ask, thinking it was the safest route to go. Elena could see some faint scars on his arms and it made her cringe at how close he came to death.

"Much better, but I think that had more to do with your sister than anything my family did." Elijah answered and smiled slightly at her, but noticed that she didn't return it.

"I am glad that she was able to help." Elena said quietly, glancing away from him and back toward the ragging water.

"Elena," He said but she still not look at him, he used his hand and gently cupped her chin, turning her to face him, his eyes meet her brown ones and he continued, "I am very thankful that Caroline came to my rescue. You have nothing to be ashamed of or have to worry about it changing my feelings toward you."

"I was just worried that it was the reason you have been avoiding me for two weeks." She replied honestly, keeping her eyes locked on his. The moment was very intimately charged and she knew that if she gave the slightest indication that it was okay, he would not hesitate to kiss her. It got her mind racing if that wasn't what she truly wanted him to do.

"No that was not the reason. Truthfully, I wasn't sure what to say to you. I have so many questions and I was afraid to ask you them, worried that you would deny me or…." Elijah trailed off, not sure what it was he was trying to say. Being so close to her, touching her, was causing him to feel some unexpected things, and it was messing with his usual control.

"Ask me anything you want Elijah, I promise not to lie to you, but I might not be able to answer the question either." Elena told him and brought a hand up to grasp the one still on her cheek. She gave him a small smile and watched as he leaned in ever so slightly, giving her more than enough chance to pull away, but she did no such thing. His lips touched hers softly, checking for any resistance or disgust. When he found no such thing, he deepened the kiss and placed his other hand on her opposite cheek, cupping her head.

Elena found herself getting lost in the feelings that his lips were causing. But then, an image of Stefan popped into her head and she broke the kiss and the hold his hands had on her. She turned away from him and looked back at the water, her lips feeling full from the masterful kiss she had just received.

Elijah cleared his throat, obviously embarrassed by his actions, "I apologize Elena, I should not have done that. You are already in a confusing enough situation with those brothers, I should not be adding to your troubles."

Elena almost laughed at Elijah apology, but knew that would send the wrong message, so she replied, "You have nothing to be sorry for Elijah. This is a very emotional time for all of us and I think that your near death experience is just bringing those emotions to the surface."

Elijah nodded in response, trying to convince himself that what she was saying was the complete truth, but he was having a hard time believing it, "You're right. It was a moment of emotional weakness and will not happen again."

"Exactly, we wouldn't want such emotions to ruin our friendship." Elena agree, though deep down she knew that her words would not be the truth forever, "Now, what are some of the things you wished to ask me?"

"Right, the questions." Elijah answered, and cleared his throat again before starting, "Caroline told me that she is a vampire and needs blood to survive. I….I witnessed what her features can become. How did she become such a creature and yet you remain human?"

Elena was a little stunned, that was not the question she was expecting, "Caroline was turned as a message to me. An enemy of mine was being…vindictive and turned Caroline hoping that I would back off. I think she was also hoping that Caroline would betray me and join her in her vendetta against me. Caroline is just too good a person for that kind of malice though. She killed a person her first night after she awoke a vampire, the blood lust is nearly impossible to resist at first I've been told, that mistake nearly broke her. Caroline is unique, at least among the vampires I've met, she has kept a large part of her humanity that the others have either chosen to let go or they just stopped fighting for it."

"What do you mean they lost their humanity?" Elijah asked, watching the emotions play across her face as she told her sister's story.

"They don't seem to have any regard for human life. Most just use humans for blood and either compel to forget the experience or simply kill them. Caroline dislikes doing both, which is why she feeds of the blood of animals." Elena explained, watching as Elijah took in her words.

"How many vampires do you know that you can have such detailed knowledge of so many different habits?" Was his next inquiry, amazed that such creatures existed without his knowledge.

"Not counting Caroline. I know at least a dozen vampires, though not all of them are still alive." She answered honestly, thinking of the Salvatores, the Originals, Lexi, Rose, Anna, and so many others.

"You can kill vampires?" He asked, and thought of a comment Caroline had made about werewolves being extremely dangerous for her.

"Yes, there are many different ways." She replied, and eyed him carefully, "I can trust you to not use this against Caroline?"

"Of course not, I owe her my life." Elijah confirmed, feeling slightly insulted she would even need to ask, but quickly dispelling the feeling. Her story about Caroline made it clear she was not willing to risk her sister's life.

"A vampire can be killed by a wooden stake to the heart, sunlight, or a werewolf bite." Elena revealed and hoped she wasn't betraying Caroline, but she trusted Elijah, and was pretty sure that Caroline did as well.

"But Caroline walks around in full sunlight." Elijah pointed out.

"Caroline was given a gift from a witch friend that allows her to walk in the sunlight without being harmed." Elena informed him, "You really should ask Caroline some of these questions. She could explain what being a vampire is much better than I."

"I don't know if you have noticed but her and Niklaus are gone most afternoons. It makes catching her alone very difficult." Elijah teased, a smile finally gracing his features once again.

"I am aware." Elena stated and felt herself become annoyed at the concept. She was okay with it when Caroline was just having a fling but now she was in love with him and that changed things.

"You do not approve of Niklaus and Caroline, do you Elena?" Elijah asked, catching the tone in her voice.

"Your brother just…" Elena started to say when she was interrupted.

"Reminds you of someone you know back home?" He finished, and she nodded, "That is your explanation for a lot of your opinions on people I've noticed. What about your past are you not telling me?"

"Many things Elijah, many things." She answered truthfully, and after some serious thoughts added, "I promise that one day I will tell you everything and I hope you believe me when I say that it is not because I don't trust you."

"I do believe that Elena and I hope you know that I trust you as well." He replied and managed to catch her eyes with his.

"I know." She whispered, and could feel the emotions from earlier starting to fill the air again.

Elijah could feel them as well, so he glanced away and said, "Niklaus will never hurt Caroline. I have never seen him behave this way with a woman, he does truly love her Elena. I felt the ultimate proof to that was when he didn't shun her away after learning the truth about what she really is. Not many men would be able to handle that. I am not sure I would have been able to." He admitted, and felt somewhat ashamed for admitting it, but he also knew that Elena would not judge him.

"I do not think you give yourself enough credit Elijah." Elena responded, "I have been trying, though it has not been going very well, to accept Klaus as a part of Caroline's life. She has told me how she feels and I want to be supportive, but it is hard. Especially when I just don't understand..." She trailed off, not really sure how to express her feelings without telling him that they were from the future.

"Understand what? How she can love my brother?" Elijah asked, his voice full of an anger that Elena had never heard.

"Honestly Elijah? Yes, that is what I don't understand." Elena replied, her voice just as angry, and quickly got to her feet, "I know he is your brother Elijah, but I cannot trust him. Not with Caroline's life or with her heart."

"What is it Elena, why do you hate him so?" Elijah demanded, getting to his feet as well and facing her directly.

"I can't tell you Elijah!" Elena screamed at him and started walking back toward the village.

"You keep saying that one day I will understand, why can't today be that day?" He wondered trying to return his voice to its normal candor, catching up to her easily with his longer strides.

"Please drop this. It is already hard enough. I can't keep doing this Elijah, either accept that I have to keep things from you or we will have to end our friendship." Elena informed him, stopping dead in her tracks and looking at him carefully. She could see that her demand had taken him completely off guard.

"I would never jeopardize our friendship over something like this Elena. I promise to never bring it up again." Elijah assured her quickly and she could see the sincerity in his eyes.

"Thank you." Elena replied, her voice sighing in relief. And they walked back to the village in silence, but it was a comfortable one, even after their kiss and argument, and Elena was worried about what that meant.

* * *

 

Caroline was happy that spring had finally arrived, she felt like winter had lasted forever, but the approaching summer brought its own problems. They would return home in mid-June, or at least they would if Klaus and the others became vampires before then. That meant that Henrik would soon die and the boy was full of such life and promise, it saddened her deeply to think that his death was sooner rather than later. Caroline was also worried that Klaus would be very angry with her when he learned the complete truth. She could prevent Henrik's death and therefore prevent the creation of vampirism but the world would not be the same if she did those things. She was sure eventually he would understand but he was going to be so angry when he first became a vampire. He was going to learn so many truths about himself and when he triggered the werewolf gene, he was only going to have an even shorter temper. Footsteps altered her to his presence, she had come to recognize the distinct way in which he walked. She remained motionless on her blanket, just enjoying the feel of the spring sun on her skin.

"A young woman should be wary of being alone so far from the village. There could be nasty men about." He teased and laid down beside her, placing a light kiss on her forehead.

"I think I can handle any 'nasty men'." She replied, turning on her side to face him, a seductive grin on her face.

"Can you now love?" He played along, his hand grazing over her hip and pulling her flush against him.

"Do you need me to prove it to you?" She asked and leaned in so her lips were mere centimeters from his.

He didn't answer with words and closed the distance, landing his lips on hers. She immediately melted into his touch and he pushed her back onto her back, positioning himself over her. Caroline wasn't sure how long she was lost in his embrace, time always seemed to slow when they were together. They no longer felt to the need to rush their encounters for both knew that there was nowhere else they would rather be. Caroline had never felt so completely loved by a man before and wished they could remain this simple forever. She curled more securely into his side, suddenly afraid he was going to disappear.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, feeling the tension in her body and slowly ran his hand over her exposed back.

"I'm afraid." She whispered, her voice barely audible as she spoke from her place on his chest. Her fingers were ghosting over his many scars, there were more than she ever would have imagined.

"Of what?" The question was full of concern and he felt his own body tense.

"That one day this will just be a memory and you'll want nothing to do with me." She admitted, her heightened insecurities finally breaking through to the surface. The closer the time to return home, the more insecure she was feeling in her relationship.

"I can promise that will never happen Caroline." He assured her, his entire body humming with the confidence that was in his voice.

"You can't promise that!" She yelled as she quickly changed to a sitting position, her bare body now even more visible to the world, "You don't know what the future holds, you can't promise that you'll love me forever."

Klaus copied her position before answering, blue met blue and he said, "You can no more predict the future than I can Caroline. All I can say for certain that is as long as I continue to feel the things I currently am, I will always love you. Why do you not have faith in that?"

Caroline didn't answer, she couldn't answer. If she said anything more she would reveal too much and that was definitely something that could not happen. Klaus would never allow Henrik to die and that was the catalyst to everything.

"What are you not telling me Caroline? I can see that you are still holding something back from me." Klaus asked, putting his hands on her face, gently forcing her to look at him.

"I can't." She whispered and felt tears start to fill her eyes, "I want to tell you, I want to tell you so badly. I just can't, one day you will understand I promise."

"You have said that before love." He replied and wiped her fallen tears with his thumbs, "But I will not press you further on this matter, not when it makes you so upset. It hurts me to see that I have caused you this much distress."

"It isn't your fault, I promise you that." She tried to assure him and gave him a sweet kiss before saying, "We should probably be getting back, it will be dark soon and I wouldn't want to get you in even more trouble with your father." She said the last part as she glanced back at his scared chest, he had never told her the reason for them all, but they both knew she knew that almost all were from Mikael.

"Let him be angry." Klaus told her and kissed her with passion and need. Caroline knew exactly where this kind of kiss led and just let herself go to the sensations. She was going to enjoy every moment she could get with Klaus, because he was right, she did not know what the future holds for her when she finally returned home.

* * *

Damon finished his drink in one gulp and signaled the bartender for another. He was drinking at the Grill tonight mostly because he was sick of drinking at home. Alaric was supposed to meet him but was running late, which was something that was quickly becoming a habit with him lately. A jingle above the door caused him to turn his head, and he immediately regretted it as the two youngest Originals walked in. They headed to a both, laughing about something as they did.

Damon noticed that Kol was carrying the grimore that Bonnie had used for the time travel spell. He was very curious as to why Bonnie would trust such an important piece of their plan to get the girls back with Kol and Rebekah. Damon was very suspicious of the Originals, all of them had been acting differently since the spell. He knew they claimed that they had received locked memories of the girls in the past, but he doubted that those could change who they fundamentally are.

He watched as Matt went over to their table to get their orders and decided to listen in, it wasn't like he had much else to do.

"Hi Matt." Rebekah said, overly flirty in Damon's opinion.

"Hello Rebekah." He replied, his voice its usual friendly tone, and then it dropped when he turned and said, "Kol. What can I get you guys?"

"Matt," Kol started, his voice low, "I wish to apologize for what I did on the night of my family's party. I was acting out and it was wrong of me to take it out on you. My siblings have assured me that you are a good man. I do hope that we can one day move past my actions."

Matt's face was one of confused shock, and Damon's matched it from his place at the bar. Rebekah was smiling smugly, giving Damon the impression that this act of contrition on her brother's part was all her doing. Probably trying to make her seem more appealing to the quarterback, who the entire world knew she had a crush on.

"Are you serious?" Matt asked, the question being the only thing to pop into his head after Kol's apology.

Kol cleared his throat before answering, Damon could see the restraint to hold onto his temper, "Yes Matt, my apology is sincere."

Matt took a moment to think, glanced at Rebekah and smiled at her before turning back to Kol, "If you are truly being sincere, than I accept your apology."

"Thank you Matt and I'll have the bacon cheeseburger." Kol responded, handing Matt the menu.

Matt let out a small chuckle before looking to Rebekah, who was practically smiling with the radiance of the sun, "I'll have the same. Thanks."

"No problem." Matt said and walked away, silently laughing to himself as he did.

Damon just shook his head at the whole situation, not believing in Kol's apology for a second, but Matt was not on his short list of people he cared about, so the boy could get himself into whatever situations suited him. Damon wasn't going to lift a finger to help the boy this time, unless Elena made him.

"Sorry I'm late." Ric said as he slid onto the stool next to him and ordered a drink.

"More Jeremy issues?" Damon asked, knowing that boy was not handling his sister's time traveling adventure well.

"I haven't seen him for a while, he and Tyler have been spending a lot of time together at an undisclosed location." Ric replied, his tone saying he was unhappy with the situation, "Meredith and I were trying to figure out who is killing the council members, still no solid leads."

"Well, at least they seem to be taking a break. No one else has been attacked since you were before the ball." Damon reminded him and took a sip of his drink.

"I don't think that is a good thing Damon. It means that he is probably planning something big." Ric told his friend, swirling his glass before taking a long drink.

"And we will handle it Ric, just like we have handled everything else." Damon assured him but he could see that words were doing nothing to unsettle the man next to him.

"You can't be serious!" Rebekah suddenly yelled from across the room, causing everyone else in the place to look at her. She didn't seem to notice and just continued to yell while pointing at something in the book in front of her, "How did this happen?"

Kol just shook his head and both left the building quickly, not even glancing at any of the eyes that followed them. "What do you think that was about?" Ric asked, turning back to his drink as the Originals disappeared out the door.

"I am sure we won't have to wait too long to find out." Damon commented and finished his drink. He did not think that they were going to like whatever caused Rebekah to react so strongly.


	15. Shifts in Perception

Elena loved walking around the village in the early morning, especially at this time of the year there was a low fog to the ground that gave it an almost supernatural feel. She always took the time to chat with some of the villagers, everyone was an early riser here and they had finally become comfortable with having the girls around. Elena was actually surprised at how easy it had been to adjust to this time period, and would be a bit disappointed to leave it. But she missed Jeremy, Bonnie, and the rest of them too much to never see them again.

"Back off!" She heard a gruff voice demand in a loud whisper to her left between two houses. She recognized the voice instantly and slipped into the foggy shadows of the alley to investigate.

"Come on. It has been over three moons since we last had any fun, I know you must miss it." Elena heard a voice eerily similar to her own say in a highly seductive tone, and she felt anger rush to the surface.

"I love Caroline and have no need for a two-timing wench like yourself." Klaus responded, his voice carried a dangerous tone to it that Elena was more than familiar with.

"No need to be so flustered." She heard Tatia say, obviously not catching Klaus' tone, or choosing to ignore it, "I just think you need a little reminder of what we had."

Elena was finally close enough to see them and watched as Tatia leaned in to kiss him, but Klaus pushed her roughly away, "I have never hit a woman before Tatia, but try that again and you will be the first."

"Your little blonde slut sure has brought out an interesting side to you Niklaus." Tatia replied and straightened herself out, before moving closer to him again, her body trying to be as seductive as possible.

"Don't speak of her like that, in fact don't speak of her at all!" Klaus yelled and stared threateningly at the woman in front of him.

"I will speak of her however I wish." Tatia responded, her voice finally dropping the attempt to seduce him, "That little whore and her sister ruined everything when they showed up, and I want what was mine back."

Elena couldn't take any more of this show, Tatia was crossing a line with the names she was calling Caroline, and went to make her presence known but before she could, Klaus came to their defense, "We were never yours to begin with Tatia! Caroline and Elena are the best thing to ever happen to my brother and myself. They allowed us to see what a worthless piece of…"

He never got to finish his sentence as Tatia slapped him across the cheek, her entire body radiating with anger, "You cannot speak to me like this!"

"Of course he can. You deserve it all and much more." Elena spoke up from the shadows, and enjoyed watching the shock contort Tatia's face at her appearance.

"This is none of your business." Tatia yelled at her through clenched teeth.

"Oh, I think it is. You are trying to convince Klaus to leave my sister for you, while you insult her. I think defending my family is more than within my rights and as long as Caroline is with Klaus, he is a member of my family. Making this entire scene you are creating very much my business." Elena defended, her back straight and her voice strong as she glared at the woman in front of her.

"You are nothing more than a pathetic child with silly notions about loyalty and family. I bet you've never been able to keep a man happy in your sad little life." Tatia sneered, trying to insult Elena when she could think of no better response to Elena's words.

"You know nothing about me Tatia, so don't assume you know what I have and have not done with my life." Elena retorted and then stepped closer to her ancestor, and whispered in low tone, "But I bet I could make Elijah much happier than you ever could."

Tatia slapped her within a second of her final word leaving her mouth, and Elena put a hand to her stinging cheek while laughing at her enemy, "Violence is the resort of those that aren't clever enough to get their points across with words."

Tatia looked furious and raised her hand to slap Elena again when Klaus grabbed her wrist, "I wouldn't touch her again if I were you."

"Consider this your last warning Tatia. Stay away from me and my family or you will regret it." Elena threatened, her voice taking a tone she herself had never used but had heard Katherine utter more than once.

Klaus released Tatia and circled his arm around Elena's waist and led her back down the alley and toward her home. Neither of them looked back to see what Tatia was doing because they didn't care what it was as long as she left them alone.

Elena was surprised by the comfortable way in which Klaus had pulled her to him, and it wasn't in the least bit sexual, almost like he was walking with Rebekah. She wanted to shrug herself away from him but she had silently promised both Caroline and Elijah that she would try with Klaus. Allowing him to touch her was a step she was apparently going to take.

"Thank you Elena." Klaus said suddenly and his hand released her waist, going to his side.

"For what?" She asked, taken aback by the words that had just left his mouth.

"Stepping in between me and Tatia." Klaus told her, keeping his eyes straight ahead instead of looking at her, "That woman just won't take no for an answer. Her constant hounding and insults are really trying my temper."

"You seem to be keeping it in check really well." _For having a werewolf gene_ , she finished in her head.

"Trust me when I say that one more insult at Caroline or you and I would have snapped and hit her." Klaus freely admitted, causing Elena even more shock at his honesty. Klaus noticed her shock, and added, "I told you that I want you to trust me Elena. Lying to you about my feelings wouldn't really help with that, would it? Especially when it was very clear that I was angry."

Elena wasn't sure how to respond to a question like that. It was true that she would probably be able tell if he was lying, especially in that situation. She saw her new home approaching and noticed the bubbly blonde coming out the door. Caroline waved at them both before they got close enough to the house for her to say, "Well, this is something I never expected to see."

"Your lovely sister was kind enough to come to my rescue." Klaus replied and pulled Caroline flush against him before kissing her on the forehead.

"Tatia bothering you again?" Caroline asked and Elena caught the tone of annoyance in her words, "I really wish you would just let me force her to leave you alone."

"No. I can handle her, I've told you." Klaus insisted.

Elena could tell that this was ongoing conversation between the two of them and decided to stay out of it, "I am going to get started on the morning chores."

"Oh, Ayanna was hoping that you could go collect some vervain for her. She wants to test the plants under the white oak with plants that grow elsewhere as well." Caroline told her, looking somewhat embarrassed she had to ask.

"Where is Ayanna?" Elena asked, confused as to why Caroline was conveying the message.

"She went to 'talk to the spirits' about something or other." Caroline said, putting finger quotes around some of the words.

"Okay." Elena replied with a laugh at Caroline's action, "Can you cover my chores?"

"Of course." Caroline replied seamlessly, and smiled before turning to Klaus, "I'll meet you later alright?"

"Wouldn't miss it love." Klaus said and kissed her quickly on the lips before hurrying off toward his own home, hoping he wouldn't get in trouble for being late.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" Caroline asked as she picked up a couple buckets to go collect the water.

"I'll be fine. I think there is some vervain near the entrance to the caves and the river. Nothing too far away, I will be back before nightfall easily." Elena assured her while securing the tie of her cloak, "Not like you could do much but stare at the plant anyway."

"True." Caroline agreed with a smile and a laugh, "I'll see you tonight."

"Have fun with chores." Elena called after the blonde as she walked away.

Elena was trying to find the place she had been when she had talked to Elijah, she had remembered seeing some of the little purple flowers that day. The ones near the cave had been real easy to find and were now safely tucked in her bag. Her second batch was being much more elusive and she was starting to think she had been imagining seeing them here. Being here was also beginning to bring back the events that happened with Elijah, only a few days earlier.

"Looking for anything special?" A voice asked from behind her.

Elena smiled and turned to look at him, "Ayanna asked me to collect some herbs for her, I was pretty sure I had seen some around here. Can't find them though."

"Which herb are you looking for?" Elijah asked and stepped closer.

Elena took one of the flowers she already had in her bag and held it out to him, "Vervain. Ayanna wants to test it or something, Caroline didn't really say why she wanted it exactly."

Elijah took the flower from her, his fingers grazing hers. He twirled it a few times, before walking past her about ten feet and moving a bush, exposing a large patch of the flower, "Maybe you were just too distracted." Elijah teased and picked her one of the flowers.

"That is possible, I had an….encounter with Tatia this morning." She told him, taking the new flower and put it in a different section of her bag from the cave selection.

"I apologize. I am sure that was not something you wanted to happen to you today." Elijah commented, kneeling to pick her some more flowers.

Elena sat down next to him before she spoke, "She was trying to convince Klaus to leave Caroline. He wasn't having any of it." Elena took a long pause, before admitting, "I don't like the person I become when I am around Tatia."

"How do you become?" Elijah asked, moving from sitting to kneeling. Seeing that this was a conversation that would take awhile.

Elena eyed him closely without really looking at him and added, "I am going to tell you something Elijah, and I need you to not repeat it."

"I promise Elena, anything you ever say to me stays just between the two of us." Elijah assured her and grabbed the hand closest to him, giving it a comforting squeeze. "This is going to be long and probably a little complicated to understand, but please don't ask any questions until I finish, or I won't be able to continue." Elena told him and Elijah just nodded, "Do you remember how I told you Caroline was turned into a vampire by one of my enemies?" She saw him nod in confirmation, "Her name is Katherine and I am her doppelganger. A long time ago one of my ancestors was used in a curse, so every couple hundred of years the doppelganger is born and hunted to break that curse. Katherine was the one right before me and she was able to get herself turned into a vampire before she could be sacrificed. She found me and wanted to use me for a bargaining chip to appease the ones trying to break the curse. I refused to go along with her plan, or give up Stefan, who she claims to be in love with. Katherine was the one who turned both Stefan and Damon into vampires about a hundred years before I meet them. She played with them, made them both fall in love with her, only to abandon them. She broke them Elijah, she tore apart their relationship. Similar to how Tatia treats you and Klaus. When I am with Tatia, I just feel like I am acting like Katherine and becoming her is my greatest fear. I am already afraid that I am following in her footsteps by leading on Stefan and Damon. I worry that if I am so easily able to hate Tatia, when she has really done nothing to be personally, that I am just inching closer to being Katherine. Who I know doesn't care for anyone more than herself. I just worry so much that the being the doppelganger will mean that I will need to become Katherine to survive." Elena felt tears fall down her face, and wiped them away with her free hand. Her other was still firmly gripped in Elijah's hand.

"I do not know this Katherine but from that little bit you just told me, I don't think you could ever be her." Elijah told her, squeezing her hand a little harder, "That fact that you care so much about not being her. Or about how much you don't want to hurt Damon and Stefan by leading them on, shows how different you are from her. Do not let your experiences with Tatia ruin your opinion of yourself. There is always that one person, for whatever reason, that pushes your buttons in the wrong way and brings out the worst in us. You see Tatia as a person that is trying to hurt your sister, and your friends. You are a very loyal person Elena. It makes perfect sense that you would go after anyone attacking someone you love." Elijah turned her head to see her face full on and added, "We would do the same for you. Whether you are cursed or not."

Elena decided that the best way to respond was to hug him, so she did. There were no words she could say that would convey how much she appreciated having Elijah to rely on here. She only hoped that he wouldn't hate her when the complete truth came out.

* * *

 

She watched her walk around the village like she owned the place, flirting with every man she saw. Caroline felt her inner predator come over and wished more than anything that she could hurt Tatia. The woman had properly put herself at the top of Caroline's hate list, bumping Katherine down to number two. Caroline rolled her eyes when Tatia started walking toward her. Swaying her hips as she walked, making sure that there were always eyes on her.

"Good morning Caroline." Tatia said sweetly, too sweetly for Caroline's taste.

"What do you want Tatia? Besides to steal the man I love." Caroline asked, not even going to bother with pleasantries with this woman.

"So rude, I really don't get what Niklaus sees in you." Tatia sneered, looking Caroline up and down as if she was a piece of meat.

"Someone who wants him for him and not as a part in game that involves his brother." Caroline retorted, keeping her voice low.

"Don't pretend you know what my relationship is with Niklaus or Elijah. He might claim to love you but I am willing to bet that he didn't really share everything with you." Tatia taunted, so sure of herself, "Did he tell you how he easy it was for me to seduce him, how easy it was for him to betray his brother?"

Caroline clenched her jaw and slowly replied, "Klaus told me everything about his relationship with you Tatia. He hasn't lied to me ever when it comes to someone as pathetic as you."

"Oh, I highly doubt that." Tatia responded, "Did he tell you about how he begged for me to take him back to my bed this morning?"

Caroline couldn't stop the laugh that escaped her mouth, "You mean your failed attempt to seduce him back to your bed? Yes he and Elena told me all about it." She knew that wasn't the total truth, but he said it was like his usual conversations with her, so that meant she tried to seduce him and he used all his strength not to hit her.

"Maybe that was his story." Tatia teased, stepping closer to Caroline and whispered, "Why would I want him back after he has been with a whore like you?"

Caroline had enough of this, she knew that she had promised not to anything but she couldn't take the interference this woman was causing with her life. Tatia would be dead within a few months anyway, so this wouldn't hurt her at all in the long run. "Listen carefully to me Tatia," She started, looking into the brown eyes and using her power of compulsion, "You will not speak to me, Elena, Klaus, or Elijah unless one of us starts the conversation first. You will never, under any circumstance, try to get back together with Klaus or Elijah. They no longer belong to you, not that they ever did, but they are of no longer a concern to you."

"No concern to me." She repeated slowly, and Caroline released her from the compulsion.

"Goodbye Tatia. As always, this was such a pleasure." Caroline said sarcastically and walked out of the village, she had a very important meeting to keep after all.

* * *

Bonnie woke up to the rapid and insistent knocking on her door, which almost seemed as though it was going to pop right off its hinges. She glanced at the clock as she got off of the couch and noticed it was just after 8pm. Bonnie was surprised she had fallen asleep while watching TV, that didn't usually happen to her but everything had been crazy lately. She was even more surprised when she opened the door to see all four of the Originals standing there. It looked like Rebekah had been the one doing the knocking from her stance. Elijah was leaning against one of her banisters and Kol was looking around nervously, as if waiting for someone to jump out of the shadows and attack. Klaus just looked extremely angry and like he wanted to murder the entire town.

"About time!" Rebekah shouted when Bonnie had opened the door completely, "You either need to invite us in or come out here, because we have a lot to talk to you about." She said, holding up the grimore for Bonnie to capture the full purpose for this visit.

"What is it?" Bonnie asked, her voice higher than usual with panic as she joined them on the porch.

"I found out what went wrong with the spell." Rebekah answered and flipped the book open to the page. She pointed to a sentence in the spell and said, "This was altered, this is not the original wording to the spell."

"How can you be so sure?" Bonnie questioned, reading over the section in question and not noticing anything off about it.

"The wording is wrong. It denotes physical travel instead of mental travel, which is what went wrong with the spell. You didn't notice because my guess you never took the time to learn all the Latin words used in spells." Rebekah accused and could tell from Bonnie's expression that she was right, "Luckily this doesn't harm the return process in anyway."

"Who would have changed it?" Bonnie inquired and noticed them all share a look, one that she took to mean could not lead to anything good.

"Our mother." Elijah answered simply, neither his voice nor his expression giving away any emotion.

"Why would she do this? What could she possibly have to gain from sending Elena and Caroline back in time?" Bonnie asked, sitting on the swing that was on her front porch, trying to process all this information.

"There must be something from that time that she is trying to regain. So she used you to create the portal for her since her magic was cut off when your…." Elijah didn't finish his sentence, it wasn't necessary.

"What does she want?" Bonnie said in a small voice.

"I think she figured out a way to channel her magic." Klaus spoke for the first time, "When I killed her, it was very violent, her magic would coat the area for a long time after her death. I am sure she could probably get some of it from that location even now. It would be most powerful in the first months after her death, that is what she is trying to get."

"We aren't sure of that, but it is the leading theory." Kol piped in, still watching the shadows for movement.

"Our mother was very powerful Bonnie." Elijah said, "If she is after her power, we will be in great trouble if she can actually obtain it."

"Is there any way we can stop her?" Bonnie questioned, but she had a feeling the answer was not one she would like.

"Yes, but it is not an option." Rebekah started, and Kol finished, "It would require not doing the return spell and leaving Elena and Caroline trapped in the past."

"Then Rebekah is right, it isn't an option." Bonnie stated, looking at them all, daring one of them to disagree.

"No one is going to argue with you there sweetheart. Trust us, we want Caroline and Elena back just as much as you do." Klaus replied, his demeanor not any less angry than it was when she first saw him.

"I doubt that." Bonnie responded and then asked, "How do stop your mother once she has her powers back? If that is what she is after."

"Simple. We kill her." Klaus answered and Bonnie was surprised when his siblings all nodded their head in agreement.

"Set up a meeting with your friends for tomorrow morning Bonnie. We have a lot to figure out." Elijah told her, and Bonnie was afraid to see what killing the Original witch would entail. This is not going to end well. Bonnie thought as she watched the four Originals walk away, _I really hope they are wrong about this. But it makes too much sense for it to be anything else._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am horrible at following my own update schedule, but I hope you can forgive me :)


	16. Night it All Began

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A death in the family causes new problems

"Come on Nik! It will be fun." Henrik begged his older brother, sure that with enough pleading he could convince him, "I know you've always wanted to see it."

"Do you know what Father will do to us?" Klaus asked, wishing that Elijah hadn't already traveled down to the caves, he was always the best at keeping Henrik out of trouble.

"He doesn't have to find out." Henrik insisted, but could see that his brother wasn't buying a word of it, "I'll take full blame if he does."

"The wolves are dangerous Henrik, if they catch us it would be the last thing we ever saw. I am not ready to die." Klaus tried to pass the last bit off as a joke, but it fell short.

"They won't catch us though Nik!" Henrik tried, his voice super excited, "We will sit high up in the trees. They can't get us up there, they are only wolves. I promise Nik, nothing will happen."

Klaus could feel his resolve breaking as it always did when his younger siblings looked at him with such hope and energy, "I don't think…."

"Come on, please!" Henrik begged, pouting his face perfectly.

"I promised Caroline that I would…"

"You can see Care tomorrow. Please Nik, I promise I will never force you to do anything ever again." Henrik pleaded. Klaus let out a huge sigh, "Nothing I say it going to stop you, is it?"

"Nope. I will figure out a way to go with or without you." Henrik replied a smirk firmly on his face.

"Alright, we will go, but you will do everything I say, and whatever tree we camp in, we do not leave it until the sun rises. And there will be no complaining about this later either. Remember, this was your idea." Klaus laid down the rules, and watched as Henrik nodded at each guideline, "Good, go dress in something warm, it will probably be very cold tonight."

"You won't regret this Nik, I promise." Henrik exciting said and ran off to his room to put on his warmest clothes.

"I really hope that is true." Klaus whispered as he went into this own room to change.

 

* * *

 

Caroline felt every nerve in her body tense as she detected the first howl in the distance and ran back into the safety of the caves. Klaus and Henrik had never arrived. As she walked into the large cave containing the remaining Mikaelsons, she could sense their emotions in their stances. Elijah was frustrated, Kol annoyed, Rebekah and Esther were worried, Mikael was furious. He was pacing in extreme anger and looked like he was ready to commit murder. Caroline felt tears prick at her eyes as she curled herself into her bed roll, trying to calm her breathing, she knew what was going to happen tonight.

She felt Elena lay down next to her, and she whispered, "They aren't coming are they?"

"No, tonight is that night Elena." She whispered back, still holding back her tears, but just barely.

"Oh God." Elena responded, her own voice full of emotion. Neither girl said another word, each just buried themselves in their blankets and silently cried. Both for the young innocent boy who was soon going to lose his life and for the people that surrounded them in this cave, their life was never going to be the same once the sun rose.

* * *

 

Klaus watched the wolves circle the bottom of their tree sniffing, growling, and howling. The wolves knew that they were up there, safely out of their waiting jaws. Klaus looked over to the next branch and in the bright moon light he could see the eager features on Henrik's face. His youngest brother was truly enjoying their forbidden trip to watch the wolfmen. Henrik turned and smiled at his brother, "Thanks so much for this Nik."

Klaus just nodded and returned his attention to the creatures below. He knew they couldn't reach them, but their never ending presence was putting him on edge. Their glowing eyes were focused solely on Henrik as well, almost as if they were ignoring Klaus and that was worrying him more than anything else. A large cracking to his left broke him from his monitoring of the wolves below, he looked to see Henrik gripping his branch for dear life. His face was full of fear as he looked at Klaus. There was another large crack and Klaus reached for Henrik, but he was too far away and it was too late. Henrik let out a scream as he fell the 20 feet to the ground. Klaus heard a crunch and watched as the wolves pounced on the boy's body.

Klaus climbed down a few more branches before he jumped to the ground, deciding to fight the wolves off of his baby brother. Klaus picked up a large branch, swinging at the wolves, and they backed off. Not a single wolf tried to attack him, they all kept a safe distance from the branch, but continued to circle.

"Leave him alone!" Klaus yelled as he stood over the lifeless body of his brother. Hoping beyond hope that he only appeared lifeless, the wolves couldn't have had more than a few seconds to bite him. The fall though, it was a long fall, and that crunch he heard could not mean good things, "Go away!" Klaus yelled again, his anger at the wolves seeping into every pore of his being. His eyes widened in surprise as the wolves did as he said, they slowly disappeared into the darkness, their glowing eyes the only thing giving them away.

As soon as he was sure they were gone he turned and knelt next to his brother. He didn't need much time to see that there was nothing he could do, Henrik's neck was tilted at the wrong angle, it must have broken with the fall. _At least it was quick_ , Klaus thought as the tears fell from his eyes, _at least the wolves didn't get a chance to get him_. The tears turned to sobs and he screamed at the heavens. Calling out insults at all the gods he could think of for allowing such a thing to happen to Henrik, to his family.

It wasn't until the sun was slowly rising to the east that Klaus carefully took Henrik into his arms and started running back to the village. Tears were still streaming down his face as the first house came into view and he started running faster, needing to see the faces of those that loved him. Hoping that they would still love him after he had allowed such a horrible thing to happen, and secretly doubting that they would.

* * *

 

Caroline and Elena were completely silent as they gathered their things to leave the caves. Both Rebekah and Elijah had tried to engage them in conversation, but it had been useless. Kol had left the cave early, Caroline thought it was to find his brothers but she couldn't be sure. Mikael had left early as well, still furious at his sons for never appearing last night.

Elena waited until they were the last ones in the cave before speaking, "We need to leave the cave eventually."

"I don't want to go up there Elena. Henrik is dead, we both know that. We could have stopped it!" Caroline said, tears threatening to fall again.

"I know that Caroline!" Elena rebuffed, she then took a deep breath and looked her friend head on, "They are going to need us Care. Rebekah will need her friends right now, so will Elijah. And Klaus is going to need you more than anyone, you are going to be the only one that can prove to him that this isn't his fault. Prove to him he isn't alone."

Caroline wiped at the tears that had escaped her and narrowed her eyes at Elena, "When did you suddenly became a Klaus and Caroline fan?"

Elena looked away before saying, "I didn't say I was but I do see that he is different than the man we know back home. And I do think he truly loves you, he wouldn't have been able to reject Tatia so forcefully if he didn't."

"I just don't know what to say to him Elena." Caroline whispered and leaned against one of the walls, looking sadly at the floor, "You know I've never been good at the comfort thing. Look how bad I was at it when your parents died?"

"You've grown so much since then Care." Elena assured her, leaning against the wall next to her, "Once you see him, you'll know what to say. I am sure of it."

"I hope your right." Caroline replied, took a deep breath, and pushed away from the wall. She turned to look at Elena, "I know this isn't the perfect situation, but I don't know how I would have done this without you."

"I feel the same way." Elena replied and pulled the blonde in for a hug. Knowing that as soon as they left the cave, no one's life was ever going to be the same.

* * *

 

Rebekah was worried, she hadn't seen Klaus or Henrik so far this morning, but she was not too concerned at the same time, sure they were alright. She had originally gone to Ayanna's to see Elena and Caroline but they were nowhere to be found. Rebekah found herself drawn to the necklaces hanging in one of the windows, one in particular, she went to touch it, and it burned. Rebekah turned quickly, "Ayanna. You burned me."

"That is not yours to touch." Ayanna replied seamlessly.

Rebekah opened her mouth to respond when she heard a yell in the distance, "Is that Niklaus? Something is wrong." She looked out the window and saw Klaus carrying the bloodied body of her youngest brother. She rushed out of the house, "Henrik!" She yelled and rushed to Klaus has he laid Henrik down on the ground, still yelling for their mother. Rebekah knelt down beside her older brother as she watched her mother and Elijah run to their aid.

"No, no." Esther was whispering as she feel down next to her youngest child, her hands gently touched him and she looked at Klaus, "What happened?"

"The wolves." He replied, his voice choked from his tears. Klaus sat down fully and brought his knees up and said, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Esther through unshed tears said to Ayanna, "We must save him. Please, there must be a way."

Ayanna put her hand on Henrik's forehead, while Elijah knelt behind his mother, running a comforting hand over her back. After a few seconds of pause Ayanna answered, "The spirits will not give us a way Esther. Your boy is gone."

Rebekah felt the tears she had been holding back start to fall as she rubbed Klaus' head, trying to comfort him. She watched as her mother broke down, wailing out a constant stream of 'no' as she cried over the body of her youngest son. Elijah was crying as well, she noted, but they were silent and he was still rubbing their mother's back. Rebekah looked up as she heard approaching footsteps, she watched as Elena knelt down beside her and pulled Rebekah too her, "Oh Bekah." She whispered and Rebekah hugged Elena tightly, crying desperately into her chest. Rebekah no longer was worried about Klaus, she knew Caroline would take care of him, so she let herself be selfish, and lost herself in her own pain.

Caroline was trying to remain strong as Klaus cried into her chest as she held him to her. Say soothing words and rubbing his back and head with gentle motions. They had not moved from their place outside Ayanna's home, and neither Mikael nor the other brothers had arrived. Caroline was more worried about how the former would react. She closed her eyes and let her tears fall, holding onto Klaus a little tighter. Her eyes snapped open when she heard Elijah utter, "Father." Caroline felt Klaus tense in her arms, but he pushed himself away from her as well so he could look directly at his father.

Mikael fell to his knees next to his wife, Elijah stood and moved to stand behind Klaus and Caroline, almost as if he was ready to protect them. "What happened?" Mikael asked, his voice low and full of emotion as he gingerly touched the body of his little boy.

"The wolves," Klaus repeated, his voice cracking with emotion, "I'm so sorry."

"Sorry?" Mikael asked, his voice full of disdain, "You're sorry! Your brother is dead!" Mikael yelled but made no move to get closer to Klaus, in a hushed and threatening tone he said, "Get out of my sight."

Klaus nodded quickly and jumped to his feet, running off in the direction of the caves. Now was not the moment to question his father.

Caroline moved to go after him, but Elijah stalled her with a hand on her elbow. She turned and looked at him confused, he simply shook his head and nodded at Mikael and Esther. It took her a moment, but she understood, they didn't know the fullness of their relationship. Elena had told her of Esther threats, Caroline would wait until they retreated into the silence of their home before she went after him. And then nothing could make her leave him again.

Mikael carefully picked up the body and walked toward his home. Elijah assisted his mother to her feet and followed with her clenching to his chest. Caroline took Rebekah from Elena's arms, "Come on Bekah, let's get you home."

"He's gone Care." She managed to whisper before falling under the weight of her tears again.

"I know." Caroline whispered in return and glanced at Elena, whose own eyes were red as well, "You'll get through this. We are right here."

"We will never leave you Rebekah." Elena promised her as they entered the Mikaelson home, hating that she was lying so much lately.

* * *

 

Rebekah sighed as she and Kol sat on the couch in their living room, they had spent the entire day with the gang of misfits trying to figure out a way to stop Esther and still get the girls back.

"That could have gone better." Kol commented as he placed his feet on the table.

"Thank you for stating the obvious." Klaus said sarcastically as he entered the room and started preparing some drinks.

"If you weren't so moody maybe it would have." Kol replied and took the drink Klaus handed to him.

"Damon just grates my nerves." He answered, placing two more drinks on the table before sitting back in a chair with his own, "How has no one stacked that man in the last 150 years?"

"He does have his charms." Rebekah commented, taking her drink, and just shrugging when her brother stared at her, "What? Not like it's a secret I slept him."

"You are such a strumpet sometimes Bekah." Kol replied with a laugh.

"You're just jealous because you can't get Bonnie to sleep with you." Klaus responded, catching the pillow that Kol threw at him.

"Your method hasn't worked at all. She still won't…" Kol started to explain when Elijah walked in and asked, "Don't we have more important things to worry about than your lack of a love life?"

"I don't think so." Kol deadpanned, but none of his siblings cracked a smile, "God, grow a sense of humor, can't be serious all the time."

"I'll think about it when we get the girls back and Mother is truly defeated." Elijah replied, taking his waiting drink from the table.

They sat in silence for a while, all lost in their own thoughts when Rebekah said, "Do you think they ever considered changing things?"

"What?" Klaus asked, somewhat confused on the sudden change of subject.

"Elena and Caroline, do you think they ever thought of saving Henrik's life? That would have changed everything." Rebekah clarified, searching her brothers' faces.

"Of course they did," Klaus replied, "But they knew they couldn't."

"If they had saved Henrik's life, preventing our turning into vampires, then the spell to send them back in time would never have happened, making their presence there non-existent, meaning that they wouldn't have been able to change things. You know time travel is difficult Rebekah, their being there proved that Henrik would have eventually died and our parents would turn us into vampires." Elijah tried to explain, and didn't think he did a very good job.

"I know all that Elijah." Rebekah snapped, "I was just wondering is all."

"They hated seeing us in such pain Bekah, if they could have prevented it, they would have." Klaus assured her, he hated thinking of the day of Henrik's death, he was always so swamped with guilt afterwords.

"I for one was always surprised that you survived that day too Nik. I was sure Father was going to kill you." Kol said, causing everyone to turn to look at him, "What? Can you honestly say that you never though the same?"

"No, I was quite surprised myself at the time." Klaus answered, and noticed that Elijah was oddly silent, "Have something to add brother?"

Elijah looked up and eyed his siblings carefully, "I may have done something to ensure that Mikael's temper didn't you get you killed."

Rebekah's eyes widened as she caught on, "You didn't!"

"What? What did you do?" Kol asked, not nearly as quick to the uptake as his sister.

"You asked her to compel him?" Klaus questioned, torn between anger for his love being used like that and gratitude that Elijah went to such lengths to protect him.

"Yes. I had Caroline convince Mikael that though he was angry that he shouldn't allow his anger and grief to cause him to lose another son." Elijah explained, "It was a suggestion type of compulsion. Mikael probably never even realized she did it, even after becoming a vampire. If he had, he probably would have killed her when he was here earlier in the year trying to kill you."

"I don't think he ever saw her." Klaus said, thinking back on that day, "I don't think Caroline was a part of their plan to kill me, she certainly wasn't there when it all went down."

"Lucky turn of events there," Kol started to say, a light bulb suddenly going off in his head, "But, why didn't mother say anything at the ball? Caroline was there, Mother was sure to have seen her. Why didn't she do anything?"

They all sat in silence as they thought about the questions Kol had just raised, surprised that none of them had thought of them before.

"That is the missing piece. That is how Mother knew that Bonnie would cast a time travel spell, she had already known it would come to pass. Mother used her knowledge to trick us all." Elijah said, finishing his drink, his usual calm demeanor turning angry.

"Should we tell Bonnie and the Salvatores about this?" Rebekah asked, turning her glass nervously in her hands.

"Would it change anything if we did?" Klaus questioned in return, "All it really says is we all underestimated the abilities of our Mother."

"I wonder what else she is planning that we are unaware of?" Rebekah inquired before downing the rest of her drink, afraid as to what the answer to her question would be.


	17. Taking Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Those in the past grieve Henrick's death

Caroline was quite as she snuck out of the bedroom. Rebekah had finally fallen asleep once she was carefully placed in her bed, Elena agreed to stay with her and the other Originals while Caroline went after Klaus.

"Caroline, I need to speak with you for a moment." Elijah said as she carefully put her cloak on, there was thunder rolling in the distance.

"How are you Elijah?" She asked, he had been rather quite the entire evening, seeking solitude in his silence.

"I am worried about what my father will do to Niklaus when he finally returns." Elijah admitted, ignoring her question, "You need to make sure that the problem doesn't get out of control."

Caroline narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her, "What exactly are you asking me to do?"

"Do that thing you mentioned. Make Mikael think that killing Niklaus is a bad thing, that he will only cause himself more grief by losing two sons." Elijah insisted, keeping his voice low but forceful.

"I can't do that Elijah." Caroline said, her nerves suddenly on high alert. If she compelled Mikael, he would remember when he became a vampire, and that would put her in a lot of danger later on. The real problem was, she couldn't admit that to Elijah, at least not yet.

"You have to Caroline, if you don't Niklaus won't survive the next few days." Elijah tried, his voice raising a level.

"Elijah I…." Caroline started to say, but a door opening stopped her words.

"Both of you need to keep it down! I just got her to fall asleep!" Mikael yell whispered, a feat not many people could pull off.

"Sorry Father." Elijah whispered, down casting his eyes.

"Yes, very sorry sir. I was just leaving." Caroline uttered, afraid to the look the angry man in the eye.

"If you find him my dear, I suggest you tell him to stay far away. He is not welcome back in this home." Mikael his voice very clear, stepping closer to intimidate Caroline, "If he does return, he will face dire consequences."

"Father, you can't mean that. You don't want to…" Elijah tried to say, but was cut off.

"I know what I want Elijah, don't try to tell me otherwise." Mikael snapped, stopping his elder son from talking.

Caroline was truly afraid now of what Mikael was planning and she could see how desperate Elijah was. She took a deep breath and said, "Mikael." He looked at her, anger clear on his features, she had never used his name before, it was disrespectful. Once their eyes locked she used her compulsion, "You don't want to harm Niklaus. You don't want to lose another son."

"Don't want to lose another son." He repeated, as if in a daze.

"Yes. Good night sir." She said, releasing his compulsion and slipping out into the darkness.

"There is something strange about that woman Elijah. You and your siblings would be wise to stay clear of her and her sister." She heard Mikael say as she walked away, not wanting to listen to what she was sure would become an argument.

As soon as she was sure she was out of sight Caroline used her vampire speed to run to the caves, positive that would be where he would have went. It started to rain heavily before she arrived at the entrance, soaking her completely. "Klaus?" She yelled as she walked into the entryway before using her abilities to track him.

He was sitting in their cave, he was curled up in a corner, not moving. Caroline could tell from his breathing that he was not asleep, "Klaus." She said again as she got closer but he still refused to acknowledge her. Caroline was being patient as she sat down next to him, "Niklaus, please look at me." He still didn't move. Caroline huffed in frustration and shiver went trough her as her wet clothes stuck to her skin, "I'll be right back." She whispered to the unresponsive form in front of her. She quickly went back to the main cave where she had left a bag of things earlier, just in case this situation happened. Caroline slipped out her wet dress and put on some trousers she had stolen from Kol and a shirt she had stolen from Henrik a few weeks ago, she had found they were the closest to her size and that made them the easiest to alter. Caroline placed a blanket on the cold ground next to Klaus, who had still yet to move since she arrived, and then sat on top of it. "Nik, please, talk to me." She begged and put a hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged it off and without looking at her said, "Go away. I don't need your pity."

"I am not here to pity you." Caroline calmly said, and put her hand back, this time using her superior strength to force him to look at her, "I am here to comfort you."

"I just killed my brother Caroline, I don't deserve comfort." He replied, his voice defeated and his eyes avoiding her face.

"You did not kill Henrik, the wolves did." Caroline insisted, inching a little closer to invade his personal space, "Tell me what happened."

"Just leave me be." He practically hissed and tried to turn away from her.

Caroline was quickly losing her temper and since the polite, sympathetic path wasn't working, she would try something new, "You listen to me. I love you! And for that reason I am not going to just let you sit in this cave and pity yourself. Now talk to me, or have you forgotten that I can make you?"

He finally looked at her and eyed her carefully before saying, "You promised never to use that on me."

"Yeah, well you promised to trust me, so trust me! Tell what you are feeling, what you are thinking. I am only here to help you, so tell me what you need!" Caroline told him, moving her entire body to face him head on.

Klaus thought very carefully about all her words and decided that what he really needed was to feel her love, not just hear it. Klaus quickly moved and placed his lips on hers and pushed her body flat onto her back. Caroline was surprised at first but she could feel his desperation in his kisses and offered him nothing but her love and support.

* * *

 

A loud blast of thunder woke Elena from her tentative sleep next to Rebekah, and heard a hushed voice say, "There is something strange about that woman Elijah. You and your siblings would be wise to stay clear of her and her sister."

"You've never taken anytime to get know them!" She heard Elijah say to his father in defense of Elena and Caroline, "That gives you no right to tell me or anyone else to stay away from them."

"You should listen to me, those girls are nothing but trouble." Mikael hissed again, "Don't defy me Elijah, I am not in the mood."

Elena cracked open the door and peaked through just in time to watch Mikael storm into his own room, though he did not slam the door. Elena watched Elijah pace with anger for a moment and just as she was about to talk to him, he rushed out the door into the pouring rain.

She rushed to the door and followed him out, "Elijah, Elijah wait!" She yelled at his retreating back.

Elijah stopped under the relative cover of the white oak tree. Elena was about to go to him when a hand touched her arm, she spun around with a tiny scream but it was only Ayanna, "You scared me."

"I apologize child." Ayanna said, "You should get back inside, this rain is not good for your health."

"I just need to get Elijah." Elena explained and nodded in his direction.

Ayanna followed her nod before looking back at Elena, "I have gathered a few things for Esther for her nerves." Ayanna told the young woman, holding up a covered basket.

"I am sure it will be greatly appreciated Ayanna." Elena said absentmindedly, still watching Elijah.

"Be quick about it." Ayanna replied before turning to walk into the Mikaelson home.

She quickly ran to stand next to Elijah, the leaves stopped some of the rain, "Elijah, please, let's get out of the rain."

"I can't go back there Elena." He said, looking off into the distance.

She had never heard his voice sound so forlorn. "We'll go to my home then, I just passed Ayanna, she is at your house. We will have the place to ourselves." Elena insisted and held out her hand for him to take.

Elijah did not hesitate to take the offered hand, he had not allowed time for his own grief since the news had struck him. He felt the tears prick at his eyes again as they walked out from the brief cover of the tree. Elena gripped his hand for comfort and the tears finally escaped, he could see the house only a few feet away, but he suddenly stopped dead.

Elena turned when she felt Elijah stall next to her, turning around, she looked at him and she could see the tears through his rain soaked face, "Elijah, it will be alright." She soothed and brought up her free hand to cup his face, smiling sweetly at him, "Come on, let's get out of this weather."

Elijah looked into her brown eyes and felt himself getting lost in them. He suddenly needed to feel her, so he quickly bent down and captured her lips. After an initial shock he felt Elena start to respond to his movements and deepened the kiss. He pushed her backwards the few feet left and pressed her up against the door to her home. Elena's hands had found a way into his hair and were keeping a firm hold, almost as if she was making sure he couldn't leave her. One of her hands moved down and released the latch on the door, causing both of them to stumble into the home, breaking apart.

Elijah quickly closed the door behind them and looked at a panting Elena. She had a look in her eye that he had never seen with her before and he opened his mouth to speak but Elena closed the distance and kissed him again, her momentum pushed him against the door. Elijah was quick to respond, using his fingers to undo her wet laces, enjoying the feeling of her lips on his. Her fingers undid the laces on his leather vest and then pulled his shirt from his pants. They separated temporarily as Elijah pulled his clothes off over his head and Elena slipped her dress off. Elijah paused as he started to undo his pants, looking at Elena in the muted light of the fire behind her. He had a moment to just stare unashamed at her before she stepped closer and kissed him again. His hands marveled at the feel of her soft skin as he played with her curves. H

er own hands were finishing what his had started and pushed his pants off his hips. As he pants feel he switched their positions, he lifted Elena gently and she wrapped her legs around his hips. Neither had spoken a word since they entered the house, and Elijah was briefly starting to second guess all of this, but the look in Elena's eyes and the way she clung to him, dispelled all those notions quickly. Their eyes locked and Elijah closed what little distance still remained between then.

* * *

 

Caroline let her fingers wonder over his scarred chest, as they usually did after their encounters, but this time was different. She was waiting, waiting for him to speak, to talk to her about his feelings. His breathing was not at a peaceful level, she could tell he was trying his best to not lose control of his emotions. "Please, talk to me." Caroline whispered when the silence became too much for her.

"I don't know what you want me to say." Klaus responded, his body tensing slightly.

"Tell me what happened last night." Caroline insisted, as he had yet to say more than a few words on the subject.

Klaus took a deep breath before starting, "He was just so insistent and I could tell that even if I refused to go with him, he would have figured out how to go by himself. I was so sure that if I was there too he would be safer." He paused and Caroline could see the tears on his cheeks, "We were safe too, there was no way for the wolves to reach us. It was the branch, if it had never of broken….."

Caroline was trying to keep her emotions in check, trying to stay strong for him, "There was no way for you to have known that branch was unstable."

"I should have made sure or kept him closer to me. Just another foot and I would have been able to grab him." Klaus insisted, his voice angry, and Caroline knew it was anger at himself.

"You can't be sure of that. You could have been sitting right next to him and the only thing that could be different is that you would be dead too." Caroline told him, "Then the wolves would have gotten you both."

Klaus was strangely silent after her last comment it caused her to look at him closely, "Nik, what aren't you telling me?"

"The fall killed Henrik before the wolves could." He answered, but Caroline didn't think that was everything. Caroline just looked at him with her eyebrows raised and he sighed, "The wolves did something.....odd, Caroline."

"What did they do?" She asked, her voice really worried.

"They didn't attack me. I was on the ground with nothing but a large stick to defend myself, and they left me alone. I don't understand, why didn't they kill me?" Klaus asked, and Caroline didn't think he was really expecting her to give him an answer, "Why didn't they kill me?"

"I don't know Nik." Caroline answered, and felt the emotions she was trying to keep down explode, "But I am so glad they didn't. I really don't know what I would do without you." Tears starting to fall down her cheeks.

Klaus wiped away the tears on her face, and said, "I promise that I will do my best to ensure you never have to find out."Klaus replied, pulling her into a passionate kiss.

"I will hold you to that." Caroline replied, kissing him back fully.

* * *

 

A loud noise roused Elena from her sleep, and for a moment she was confused as to why there was an arm wrapped around her waist and a warm body pressed against her back. Then it all came back to her, she had had sex with Elijah. Once was against the front door in a passionate display of need and the second had been on her bed, and that was the one that really made Elena blush. It had been slow and perfect, it had been making love not having sex. She had always thought it was a stupid saying that was a device of romantic movies, but she wasn't that sure anymore. She shifted her body to look at the sleeping man next to her, it was still dark so she could only see him vaguely. The blanket slipped off her shoulders and she shivered as the cold air touched her exposed back.

Her movements caused Elijah to stir and open his eyes. He blinked rapidly, clearing the sleep from his eyes, he smiled before saying, "Hello there."

"Hey yourself." Elena replied, feeling herself blush even further. She smiled even more as Elijah pulled the blanket back up to shield her from the cold. Her face fell for a moment before she questioned him, not sure how he was going to react, "Are you ready to talk about it?"

The smile feel from his face as he shifted so he was laying flat on his back, removing all contact between them. Elena remained on her side facing him but she used her arm to prop up her head a bit, "You can't avoid it forever Elijah."

"I haven't been…" He started to defend when she interrupted him. "Yes, you have and I let you. I let you because, in all honestly, I've wanted to do that for a long time, long before we ever had that kiss by the river. But you have to talk about it Elijah, you can't keep this all to yourself. You know you can trust me to not judge you." Elena assured him and used her free hand to grip the one of his closest to her.

"I never have doubted your trust Elena." Elijah started before pausing, and Elena had a feeling like this was going to be a difficult conversation for him. "I don't want you to think that what happened between us was just because I was emotional. I have wanted you for a long time Elena…"

"Elijah, you don't need to justify your actions. I don't feel used and I don't regret it." Elena informed him, releasing his hand and moving it to his face, "I just want to make sure that you are alright. Your brother is dead."

"I have not forgotten Elena." Elijah replied, and Elena did not fail to notice that he had reverted back to his stoic demeanor.

"Then talk about it." Elena said forcefully, getting sick of his avoidance.

"Why is it so important that I talk about this? I don't want to talk about it!" Elijah questioned, his voice turning into a near yell by the end.

"I know what it is like to lose people that are close to you Elijah." Elena defended, her own voice getting louder in response, "And talking about it was the only thing that helped me through it! I don't want you to feel like you are alone."

"I'm not good at sharing Elena." Elijah whispered in response to her outburst.

Elena leaned in and gave him a slow kiss before pulling back to her original position, "Start with you how you are feeling. What emotion do you feel most?" Elena prompted.

Elijah thought hard for a moment before saying, "Anger. I am very angry. Angry at Niklaus for letting Henrik talk him into this and then for not doing a better job of protecting him. But, I am also just angry that something like this could happen to my family, we have enough problems already. I also just can't shake this feeling that something worse is going to happen, and happen soon. That is one of the reasons I asked Caroline to ensure that Mikael doesn't kill Niklaus."

"You what?" Elena asked, completely thrown by his last statement.

"I asked Caroline to compel Mikael not to kill him when he finally returned home." Elijah confessed, "I can't lose another brother Elena."

"You won't, not anytime soon anyway. I promise you that." Elena said, smiling as she stroked his face.

"You can't promise such things." Elijah said, his voice barely louder than a whisper, "You have no way of knowing the future."

Elena looked away briefly before returning her eyes to his, "Maybe not all of it, but I can tell you what the rest of this night holds." She said seductively, bringing her body flush against his.

Elijah smiled as he wrapped his arms around her, forcing her to climb on top of him, "Oh, I think I can predict that as well."

* * *

 

Elijah was sitting silently in his bedroom, he needed some time to himself. He was pretty sure that he had not spent this much consecutive time with his family in centuries. It didn't help that Elena was the only thing on his mind either. All he could think about was the feel of her skin on his and the way she would say his name when they were in the middle of sex. He was amazed at how much she had affected him in such a short period of time. Elijah could count the number of times they had slept together with just his fingers but that wasn't the most important thing he felt about his relationship with Elena. It was her heart that he loved more than anything, she had comforted him long before Henrik's death, and never once wavered in her declaration of standing by him.

It was less than a week before the scheduled time to bring the girls back to the 21st century and Elijah was becoming less and less sure with his decision to just sit back and not fight for her. He was truly in love with Elena and he more than anything wished that he had told her that before. He remembered wanting to but he had thought she would be unresponsive to his words. Even in the past, during the height of their affair, they still talked about Stefan and Damon, and Tatia. There was an unwelcome knock on his door. Elijah sighed before saying, "Come in."

Elijah was surprised when it was Kol that came through the door, "Going to hold up in here all day brother?"

"Was considering it, yes." Elijah replied, looking back out the window that had an unobstructed view of the backyard, "Everyone once in a while Kol, I like to be alone."

Kol ignored his brother's obvious attempt to kick him out, "Want to talk about it?"

"I don't know what you are referring to." Elijah responded, now looking at his youngest brother with curiosity.

"Sure you do." Kol commented with a devious smirk, "You weren't as sneaky as you thought you were Elijah."

Elijah gulped before saying, "What are you talking about?"

"Come now Elijah." Kol replied, "Why are you keeping it a secret?"

"Kol, don't push this." Elijah warned, "It is none of your business, whatever you are talking about."

"I caught Elena sneaking back from one of your little trysts." Kol admitted, "She threatened to kill me if I told a soul. At the time I thought her specific threat was a little odd, but it all made sense in the end."

"What are you talking about?" Elijah asked, truly confused now.

"Elena said, 'This is none of your concern Kol, and if you share what you know I will take a white oak stake and run it through your heart. I am very serious Kol.' It actually scared me, I had never felt more terrified of a woman before in my life." He said, scanning the view in front of him, a slight laugh in his voice, "I still don't understand why you two wanted it kept a secret, everyone already assumed it was going on."

"We had our reasons Kol." Elijah answered, thinking back on that discussion they had about the benefits of keeping it just to themselves, "I wonder why she didn't tell me you knew."

"Probably didn't get a chance. That night we were turned into vampires, and I assume you stopped that part of your relationship after that." Kol told him, still just watching the landscape, "Your view is so much better than mine."

"You aren't wrong. The bloodlust was too hard to control to be…intimate with Elena without killing her." Elijah informed his brother, somewhat happy to finally be able to share his thoughts with someone else, "What made you decide to talk to me about this?"

"I can see how lonely and worried you are concerning this Elena thing. Thought I would just come and help. Elena loves you Elijah and when she gets back here, she will make the right decision." Kol informed his older brother.

"How can you be so sure?" Elijah asked, looking at his brother closely.

"Oh, I can keep a secret." Kol said, his smirk firmly planted on his face as he left the room, "I have been for a thousand years without even knowing it."


	18. Final Heartbeats

Rebekah was nervous as she approached Elena and Caroline where they sat outside of their home. Things had still not returned completely to normal with the Mikaelson family, and that scared Rebekah, though she knew it would never be the same.

"Hey Bekah." Caroline said in her normal, cheery voice when she noticed her, "Are you alright?"

"I overheard something and it worries me." Rebekah replied, sitting down next to her friends.

"What did you hear?" Elena asked, inching closer to her worried friend.

"My parents were talking with Ayanna about finding a way with magic to make us faster, stronger and immortal. What could they be planning?" She asked, looking back between the confused faces of her friends.

Caroline felt her breathing increase, and she looked at Elena, who looked equally as panicked, "Did you hear anything else?"

"Only that it would be up to my mother to make sure it happens." Rebekah said.

"When did you hear this?" Elena asked, and Caroline could see her calculating in her head. She had the same face she did during math tests.

"A few nights ago. I didn't want to bring it up sooner because I wasn't sure what it meant. I am still not sure what they were talking about." She answered, and both girls could see that she was just a bundle of nerves.

"Bekah, everything will be fine. I am sure it is just your parents reacting to Henrik's death. They just don't want to lose you or your brothers. Besides, do you think your mother would really risk upsetting nature by letting you all live forever?" Caroline suggested, trying to remember some of the stuff Bonnie had mentioned about vampires in the past.

"I guess….I guess not." Rebekah said, and Caroline could see her visibly relax.

"Come on Bekah, I'll take you home." Caroline said helping the fellow blonde to her feet.

"I'm not sure I want to…" Rebekah started to say but Caroline interrupted, "I'll stay with you for a while alright."

"Are you sure, don't you have to meet up with Nik?" She asked, knowing that every afternoon Caroline disappeared for a few hours.

"We can a miss day Rebekah, you are just as important." Caroline assured her, laughing a bit, "Are you coming Elena?"

"I have a few more things to do for chores." Elena lied seamlessly, "It might take some time. I'll come see you in the morning."

"Okay." Rebekah replied, "Have fun with your chores."

"I will." Elena responded with a smile and noticed that Caroline paused to give her a confused look before following after Rebekah.

* * *

Elena was careful as she slipped out of the village, she didn't want anyone to see her, it would raise a lot of questions she didn't want to answer.

Elena paced as she waited for him to show, this was not their first secret meeting but she had a bad feeling it was going to be their last. If Rebekah was right about the conversation she heard, which Elena had no reason to doubt, especially since she had already heard the story from Rebekah once before.

"Elena, why are you so nervous?" Elijah asked as she stepped into her view.

She didn't respond and just threw herself into his arms, her head resting comfortably on his chest. His arms wrapped instinctively and protectively around her, "What is wrong?"

"I learned something today." Elena asked, pulling away slightly so she could see him.

"What is it?" He questioned, keeping his hands on her upper arms.

"Caroline and I are heading home within the next month." Elena said, she was doing her best to keep her emotions in check, but things had gotten so much more complicated than she had ever intended.

Elijah face dropped at her words, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Ayanna says that we must go home around the solstice." Elena somewhat explained and mostly lied, she had not spoken to Ayanna, "Everything is going to be so different when we get back."

Elijah didn't say anything, he just turned away and picked up the blanket it had brought with him. He spread it out and then sat down, Elena didn't even hesitate to join him, though they kept their bodies apart. Elijah looked at her and asked, "Must you return home?"

"Yes, it is something that is outside of my control Elijah." Elena told him, wishing that she could explain everything to him, but knew that she must wait until after his transformation.

"Caroline is really willing to leave Niklaus?" Elijah asked next, looking at Elena carefully.

"It will only be for a little while." Elena whispered but didn't miss the twitch of Elijah's eyebrows, so she elaborated with, "Nothing will keep them apart for long, Caroline will find a way to be with him."

Elijah didn't say anything right away but he looked away before saying, "What are you going to do Elena?"

She didn't need him to go into more detail, she knew what he was referring to, "Honestly Elijah, I still don't know. These last few weeks with you have been…..great, but…"

"You don't think it changes anything?" Elijah finished, and her expression answered it for him, "What is you expect me to say Elena?"

"Nothing, I don't expect you to say anything, because this is my mess and it is up to me to fix it. I should never have allowed myself to love both Stefan and Damon, and even more, I should never have allowed myself to develop such deep feelings for you. It just makes everything so much more complicated." Elena told him, keeping her eyes downcast, she was afraid to see the hurt on his face.

"I never wished to complicate your life Elena." Elijah whispered, reaching out and grabbing her hand, "I should have handled everything with Tatia without getting you involved."

"I choose to help you Elijah, you are my friend, and that is what friends do." Elena assured him, "And even knowing everything I do now, there isn't anything I would do differently."

"Are you sure? You are in love with two men that you will soon have to face, knowing that you weren't really true to either." Elijah asked, knowing that his question came off bitter, which he was, if he was being honest.

"What I've done isn't fair to you Elijah. You are a good, honorable man and I've thrown you into such a huge mess." Elena lamented, feeling tears prick at her eyes.

"I am not as honorable as you think Elena." Elijah commented quietly, "If I was I would have never allowed this to happen."

"It takes two Elijah." Elena defended him to himself, "If I had been ashamed of us Elijah, it would have just been that one night and we would not be meeting here every other day."

"Then why are you ashamed now?" Elijah questioned, thinking that was the only reason they were even having this conversation and she wasn't just telling him it was over.

"I already told you I'm not. I just don't know what the future is going to hold. Should I tell Stefan and Damon about this?" Elena asked, not really sure if he would have an answer.

"It would be a true test of their feelings, but you have already said that were not in relationship with either when you traveled here. You did not cheat Elena. You are an unattached woman just having a fling while you sort out your feelings." Elijah told her, trying to keep his emotions out of his voice.

"You were never a fling Elijah. I don't have flings." Elena assured him, inching closer on her knees, "And I wish that I could have met you first."

"But you didn't, and you can't change the past Elena, you can only control the future. And I know that once you return home, I will no longer have a place in that future." Elijah said, reaching his hand up to cup her face, "So, if you don't mind I would like to enjoy the present as much as I can."

"I promise…" Elena started to say but Elijah put a finger on her lips, "Don't promise anything right now. Just enjoy the moment." He said and pressed his lips to hers and felt her body melt into him.

* * *

Elena smiled as she watched Elijah fold up the blanket, he did it so carefully, as he did everything. "It is rude to stare you know." He teased, turning around with the blanket perfectly folded in one arm.

"I've never heard you complain about it before." Elena teased in return, tilting her head up slightly to stare at him as he came closer.

"I didn't mean for it to sound like a complaint." He replied and leaned down to give her a kiss.

Elena moaned as he pulled away, "I wish we could have more time."

"So do I, but darkness is approaching and the woods can be dangerous." Elijah answered, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"It is your turn to go first." Elena whispered before he kissed her again.

Elijah pulled away quickly and turned, not looking back as he walked at a brisk pace. Elena giggled a bit as she bent to pick up her cloak off the ground. As she tied the neck, she heard a twig snap behind her. Without turning she said, "Change your mind?"

"That depends, have you?" A familiar voice said and Elena turned around quickly.

"Kol, what are you doing here?" She asked, fear lacing her quickly, but she just as quickly replaced it with anger, "Were you following your brother?"

"No, actually I was just out here doing some pheasant hunting." He replied, holding up a bag that held a few of the birds, "But what a surprise it was for me to stumble across you and my brother kissing. From the looks of the two of you though, I doubt that was all you were doing." Kol said suggestively.

Elena felt her blood to start to boil, and stalked toward Kol. Kol in return looked at her with sudden fear, backing up until he was against a tree. Elena lowered her voice and threatened him, "Listen here. This is none of your concern and if you share what you know I will take a white oak stake and run it through your heart. I am very serious Kol."

Kol gulped and looked at her, "I won't tell Elena."

"You better not. Elijah and I are keeping our relationship a secret for a reason." Elena said and took a few steps back, giving him some space.

"You and I haven't spent much time together Elena, so don't pretend that you know who I am. I will not betray my brother, family is everything." Kol rebutted, his voice laced with anger, but it calmed as he asked, "Now, will you let me walk you home?"

Elena was a little surprised at Kol's outburst, but nodded her agreement to his offer and looped her arm through his. Their journey back to the village was full of silence, but it wasn't entirely uncomfortable.

* * *

Caroline looked up when Elijah walked through the door, he seemed a bit flustered, "Hello Elijah."

"Caroline, I wasn't expecting you to be here." He answered, glancing between her, Rebekah, and Klaus from where they were sitting around the fire in the center of the room.

"Don't sound so disappointed to see me." Caroline said with a laugh. Both Rebekah and Klaus also cracked a smile, something that was a rare sight with the Mikaelsons lately.

"Never." Elijah replied, getting over his initial shock, "Just surprised."

"Good to know." Caroline replied and the smile fell from her face when the door opened again and Mikael and Esther walked through the door.

"Time to go Caroline." Mikael said shortly, looking at the girl next to his children with disgust.

Caroline just nodded and Elijah held out his hand to help her to her feet. She turned to look at Klaus and whispered, "See you tomorrow." He just nodded in return, his eyes locked on his father.

Caroline walked quickly out of the house, wanting to spend as little time around Mikael as possible. She was pretty sure that Ayanna's spell to erase their memories would only affect those Originals present when they were sent home, and Mikael wasn't going to be one of them.

As soon as the door closed behind Caroline, Mikael turned on his children, "Where are your brothers, we have family business to discuss."

"Finn is in his room, I don't know where Kol is." Rebekah answered, glancing nervously at her two present brothers, family business did not sound good.

"I'm right here." A voice came from the doorway, and Kol looked at his family with confusion.

"Good, Elijah go get your brother. Esther my dear, why don't you start." Mikael said as he went and locked the door behind Kol, "Go sit down."

Kol didn't argue and just sat next to Klaus, all three of them were very nervous as their father stared at them and their mother mixed a liquid with magic over in the corner. Mikael's eyes shifted to something behind his children, "Finally, join them." Elijah and Finn sat on the other side of Rebekah, and their expressions soon mirrored that of their other siblings.

"Father, what is going on?" Elijah finally asked as the candles around his mother jumped in the air. The magic in the room was felt by all but it caused both Kol and Rebekah to visibly shake as it rushed through them.

"This is the only way to protect our family." Mikael answered as Esther stood beside him holding a tray with six cups. He took one of the cups and then Esther passed them out to her children. Mikael waited until they were all holding a cup, "I want you all to drink everything that is in the cup and then go to your room. Is that understood?"

"Father, what will this do to us?" Finn asked, not liking the blood like quality of the liquid in his cup.

"This will keep us safe. Now, drink." He demanded and downed his own cup before staring at his children. Finn and Kol took their drink without another word, the other three looked at each other with trepidation, "Now!" Mikael yelled at them. Rebekah quickly took hers and resisted the urge to gag. Elijah and Klaus drank theirs with less enthusiasm but did it none the less. "Good, now go to your rooms."

Klaus stood and waited for Rebekah, he was too worried to leave her alone. He was sure it wouldn't matter if he was in his own room versus Rebekah's. They were the last two to the leave the larger room and Klaus turned around quickly when he heard his father unsheathe his sword. Klaus let out a low grunt as the sword pierced his heart, the last thing he heard was Rebekah's scream before he drifted off into darkness.

* * *

Klaus looked at the house with concern, it wasn't exactly sure what was motivating him to do this, but Caroline would be home in a few days now and he wanted to do anything he could to make her life easier. He knocked firmly on the door, surprised at how nervous he was, he had talked with the woman before.

"Klaus, what do you want?" Sheriff Forbes asked as she opened the door, but left the screen between them.

"I was hoping to speak to you for a moment." He said and waited to see if she would let him in but when she didn't he just continued, "I wanted to make sure you were up to date on everything that is happening with Caroline."

"Damon has been keeping me informed." Liz replied, looking over Klaus suspiciously, "Why would you care?"

"Has Damon informed you of where Caroline and Elena are?" Klaus asked, thinking he already knew the answer.

"He told me that the girls were doing a spell and that Caroline and Elena ended up in the past. But, that there is a plan to get them back unharmed." Liz told him, still looking at him with suspicious eyes.

"All of that is true, but to be precise they are one thousand years in the past and have been living in the village that my siblings and I called home when we were human." He paused a moment when he saw her eyes grow wide with shock and then continued, "I just thought that you would like to know that no harm will befall Caroline, or Elena. I clearly remember conducting the spell to return them home, and they were perfectly healthy."

"Why are you telling me this?" Liz asked, still very confused.

"I will leave it to Caroline to tell you the answer to that. But I do want you to know, that if you ever need anything do not be afraid to ask." Klaus informed Liz and turned to leave.

"Thank you for your concern Klaus." Liz said quickly before she shut the door, her manners getting the better of her in that moment.

Klaus just smiled as she walked away, feeling that maybe his mission had been a success. All he needed was for Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes to have one good opinion of him and that would give him all the access he needed to eventually win her approval.

* * *

Rebekah glanced expectantly around the Grill, hoping to catch sight of the quarterback of her dreams. She was sure he was working today, since it seemed he worked every day, but she had yet to see him.

"Still pining little sister?" Kol asked as he slid into the chair across from her, a scotch in his hand.

"You're one to talk." She rebuffed, and smiled as she saw Matt come in the front door, he wasn't wearing his uniform either.

Kol followed her eyes and his own lit up with an idea, "I think I am going to help you out with this." He said quickly before standing back up, "Matt, how good to see you. Would you like to join us for a game of pool?"

Rebekah looked at her brother with confusion, but played along, "Yes, would like to play?"

"The three of us?" Matt asked, looking back and forth between the two Originals.

"We could do teams if we found another person." Rebekah suggested and looked around but she only knew one other person in the restaurant, "Bonnie, want to join us for a game of pool?"

The witch looked up quickly at the question but before she could respond, Matt chimed in with, "Yeah, come on Bon, it will be fun."

"I guess so." Bonnie consented, never been good at denying Matt anything when he smiled like that.

"Awesome. We'll split into pairs, one Original, one not in each team." Kol said and slid closer to Bonnie, "I claim the witch."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, but she could see that Matt was smiling at Rebekah, so she let it go, "Fine." It would also give her a chance to maybe figure out why Kol had suddenly abandoned his attempts to seduce her, not that she was really complaining but he didn't seem like one to give up so easily.

"Got to warn you though Matt, pool has never been one of Rebekah's strongest games." Kol teased as he stacked the balls.

"That is because some of us enjoyed other activities at the time." Rebekah rebuffed, teasing her brother back.

"You've had over 500 years Bekah." Kol replied, and then looked to Matt, "How about you break?"

"Happy to." Matt answered and took his position. He lined up the ball and broke the set, a solid ended up going into a pocket, "Rebekah and I are solids." He announced, and laughed at the shock on Kol's face, "Dude, this is the only place to hang out."

Bonnie and Rebekah laughed as Kol shrugged it off, "Guess we got good teams then. Unless, are you super good too love?"

"Unfortunately not." Bonnie responded as Matt took another shot, sinking another ball.

"Guess that is good for Rebekah then." Kol replied as Matt sunk another ball, "Share the fun Matt."

Matt laughed in response and sunk another ball, "What fun would that be?" He missed the next ball however, "Well Kol, show us what you got."

Kol put on the signature Mikaelson smirk and sunk two balls before scratching, which elicited a comment from Bonnie, "Not as good as he claims."

"Sometimes you are just not as talented as you pretend to be brother." Rebekah said and she took up her own shot, and she didn't fail to notice how Matt was watching her. She smiled and got one ball, but missed the next.

Bonnie was nervous as she went to shoot, she really wasn't the best at this. She had played with Jeremy and the girls a few times, and she was always the worst. She hit the ball and it ran into nothing else. Matt and Kol both left out little laughs. Matt added, "I think the two of you might need some practice."

"I think what I really need is a drink." Rebekah replied and put her cue down.

"I'll come with you." Bonnie said putting down her own cue, and following the blonde to the bar.

Kol waited until they were out of earshot, at least Bonnie was, to turn to Matt and ask, "Are you interested in my sister?"

Matt flinched at the question and stood up straight to look at the Original, "Why are you asking?"

Kol put down his cue and looked at the human standing in front of him, "My sister seems to have a fondness for you, I just want to see if it is mutual. She has been hurt in the past, and she doesn't need any more of that in her life."

"Look, I know you are just trying to be the protective older brother but whatever does or does not happen between me and Rebekah is really none of your business." Matt told him, hoping his words won't upset the Original too much.

Kol just smiled, "I have decided I do like you. Don't make me regret it." He looked over to the bar and the girls were walking back, "Think I'll get a drink of my own." He downed the one he currently had and headed toward the bar.

"Well, you are still alive, that is a good sign." Bonnie said as they made it back to the table, passing Kol as he left.

"What were you talking about?" Rebekah asked, her eyes following her brother.

"Just guy stuff." Matt said, bending over to take his shot but though better of it and stood up, "Should probably wait for Kol to get back, wouldn't want to be accused of cheating."

"I think he will be awhile, looks like he found a distraction." Rebekah commented, taking a sip of her drink.

Bonnie and Matt looked at the bar, Kol was busy flirting with a woman in skinny jeans and a shirt that left very little to the imagination. Bonnie felt her face flush and was surprised to feel the surge of jealousy. She really wasn't interested in Kol, he was a vampire, and an Original at that, they were all evil on some level. _But Rebekah and Klaus have been so different lately. And Elena has always trusted Elijah to keep his word. Who is to say that having some fun with Kol couldn't be that, just fun. No one ever said I had to fall in love with him._ Bonnie thought as she watched Kol a bit more before he walked back to the group at the pool table.

"Everyone enjoy the show?" He teased. Rebekah rolled her eyes, Matt let out a chuckle and took his shot. Bonnie just watched him, and wondered if she really should give him a shot or not.


	19. New Emotions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Originals are having trouble transitioning into their new roles

Klaus has never hated his parents more than he did in this moment. The sun burned his skin horribly and there was unyielding need for blood, which he could not get because the sun was still in the sky. It frustrated him beyond all else, all he wanted was to get outside and find Caroline, and blood. He understood now what she was, he was pretty sure that he was one as well now. Caroline would be able to tell him how to control his urge to drain the villagers dry, obviously she did as there had not been one unexplained death since her arrival. He heard footsteps come to stand next to him at the window hidden from the direct sun, "Are you coming with me to talk to her as well?"

"Yes, Caroline can help us understand all of this." Elijah replied, "My emotions are running so strongly, are yours as well?"

"Yes. All my emotions are so heightened. I love Caroline so much more than I did before but I am also so much angrier than I have ever felt. Especially anger at our parents, how could they do this to us?" Klaus explained, feeling blood rush his face.

"Try to relax, losing your temper will not help any of us right now." Elijah tried to calm his brother, "Caroline will know what to do."

"Why will Caroline know what to do? Why would she want anything to do with us, we are monsters now." Rebekah said, coming up to stand behind her brothers, "We might accidentally kill her, and Elena, as soon as we see them."

"Our feelings for Elena are strong, I highly doubt we will be able to kill her." Elijah responded, but he knew that Rebekah had just voiced his greatest fear.

"Caroline won't let us harm her." Klaus said, his voice full of confidence at the matter.

"How will she be able to stop us? What aren't you two telling me?" Rebekah demanded, her own temper taking control of her.

"Bekah, Caroline is what we are. She has been the entire time that we have known her. Elijah and I didn't survive that bear attack on luck, Caroline saved us." Klaus informed his sister, watching the emotions play across her face carefully.

"What!" She yelled, "How can she be one of…..whatever we are? And why didn't she tell me? Is Elena one as well?" She asked rapidly, not really filtering what she was thinking before it got to her mouth.

"No, Elena is human." Elijah answered her last question.

"Caroline was turned into this about a year ago. She didn't want you to think any less of her." Klaus explained to his sister, trying to keep her calm, and hoping that Mikael didn't choose to interrupt or overhear them.

"Rebekah, we should discuss this at another time." Elijah stressed, inclining his head toward the door to their parent's bedroom, sharing his brother's concern.

Rebekah nodded her head in understanding but her eyes still fumed with anger, "Tonight there will be much to talk about." She said before storming off to her room, slamming the door in the process.

Klaus looked back out the window, "Caroline and I should be meeting right now, I wonder what she will think when I do not show up."

"My guess is she will be concerned, that woman loves you very much, I do not see her abandoning you quickly." Elijah commented but then his mind wondered to his conversation with Elena yesterday. The night's events had him so distracted that he had never thought of it again, "What will you do when Caroline returns to her home?"

Klaus turned to look at his brother with confusion, "What brought this topic of conversation on?"

"Elena told me yesterday that she would be returning home within the next month. I would have thought that Caroline would have told you." Elijah told his brother.

Klaus felt his anger rise again, "She did not." He said, his voice tense with emotion, "I guess she did seem a little distracted yesterday."

"And I am sure that was what she was so distracted about. What else could it have been?" Elijah prompted, and Klaus just shrugged, returning his full attention to watching the sun slowly set in the distance.

* * *

Caroline paced just inside the door, "They are going to be so angry at us for keeping all this from them Elena."

"Yes, at first, but they will understand eventually." Elena replied from she was sitting near the fire, her leg twitching with her nerves.

"Where are they? The sun has been down for over an hour." Caroline asked, glancing out the window with worry.

"Maybe Mikael and Esther are just keeping them on a short leash until they figure out all the side effects of the transition." Elena suggested, and really hoped that was the reason. She desperately wanted to make sure that Elijah, Rebekah, and Klaus were okay.

"I hope that is all it is." Caroline whispered, turning to look at Elena, "Rebekah is going to be the angriest of them all. We never even told her I was a vampire, she is going to feel like we didn't trust her. And all her insecurities are going to be that much more heightened now."  
"She'll understand after we explain." Elena assured her.

"Yeah, hopefully it just doesn't take her a thousand years." Caroline joked before turning her head quickly to the door, "They're here!"

Caroline rushed to the door and threw it open, Klaus was standing there, Elijah and Rebekah behind him. Caroline didn't even hesitate to leave the house and wrap her arms around him, "I was so worried." She whispered as he pulled her to the side, out of the way of the doorway where Elena now stood.

"We are fine love, but….a lot happened last night." He said, forcing Caroline to take a step back, "We have a lot to talk about."

Caroline nodded, and looked at the other two Originals, "I already know some of it, I can hear it in your heartbeats."

"Are you two alright?" Elena asked Elijah and Rebekah, staying inside the house, not sure if they could handle her being too close to them.

"I'd be better if I hadn't just been turned to monster and learned that my only two friends have been lying to me all along." Rebekah responded, glaring at Elena before turning to do the same to Caroline, "I could also complain about how I can't go out in the sun and this uncontrollable urge to drink your blood Elena."

"Bekah." Elijah chided, but Elena could see he was struggling as well. Klaus seemed to be handling it a little better and Elena thought that had to do with Caroline staying right next to him.

"It's alright. If I stay inside you cannot hurt me." Elena said, unsure about how much they figured out about their new life.

"What?" Elijah asked, looking at her closely.

"You can't come in." She repeated, and took a step back, giving him the space to enter. Elijah looked at her carefully and tried to enter, he looked confused as he felt a barrier preventing him from coming in, "Interesting, how could I come in?"

"Someone who lives in the house has to invite you, and until you have better control, you are not invited in." Caroline explained, "I will teach you everything I know, try to help make this easier on you, but first there are a few more things you need to know. Let's go sit by the fire pit."

"What about Elena?" Rebekah asked, looking to the girl in the doorway.

"I will come out," Elena said, taking a step out the door, "But to help make things easier, I will keep my distance for now. Caroline and I were prepared for this to happen and took some precautions." Elena held up a flower in her hand, "This is vervain and it will burn you if it touches your skin."

Elena sat on the other side of the fire from the three Originals, Caroline choosing to sit next to her asked, "What do you want to know?"

"How could you know that we became vampires last night?" Klaus asked, looking between the two women in front of him.

Caroline took a deep breath before saying, "That is part of what we have to tell you. Elena and I are not from the Old World, we were sent here by magic, from nearly one thousand years in the future." She paused as she saw the shock and confusion fall over all of their faces, "You know us in that future. So, to prevent the changing of events, Ayanna told us to not inform you of our true identities until after you were changed into vampires, the Original vampires."

"You are from the future?" Rebekah repeated, trying to process the information, "And you know us?"

"Yes." Elena answered, "We have done our best to not lie about too many things but we had to keep some things a secret, but none of that matters anymore." Caroline kicked Elena discreetly, her eyes saying what her words could not, "At least, most of it doesn't." Elena added, "There are a few things we still cannot tell you, for now anyway."

"Did you know Henrik was going to die?" Klaus asked, his eyes solely on Caroline, who felt so guilty under his gaze.

"Yes, I knew. Rebekah had told Elena much of how you all became vampires. We knew that Henrik's death was the trigger that caused it. When Rebekah told us yesterday that she had overheard your parents talking about using magic to change you and then none of you left the house today and Tatia had disappeared, we knew that it must of happened last night." Caroline explained quickly, watching his face carefully.

Klaus didn't say anything, he eyes just glazed with anger and he ran off into the woods. Caroline looked quickly to Elena, "Go after him, I'll be fine."

"Thank you." Caroline whispered before using her superior speed to case after the man she loved.

Elena looked back to Elijah and Rebekah, waiting for one of them to ask one of the many questions she was sure were running through their heads. Rebekah was the first to speak up, "Why are you telling us this now?"

"We needed to make sure nothing happened that changed the future, and if we told you we were from the future, we thought you would try to prevent Henrik's death." Elena answered honestly.

"So you just let my brother die?" Rebekah asked, her anger bubbling to the surface.

"It wasn't like that. Ayanna told us that if changed anything it could disrupt so many things, maybe even prevent Caroline and I from ever being born in the first place." Elena told her, "If we could have, we would have saved him, saved all of you."

"Are we friends in the future Elena?" Rebekah questioned as she narrowed her eyes at the woman across from her as her nails made impression in the carved log she sat on.

Elena sighed, "No, we aren't. Truthfully, you are our enemies. All of you." She looked at Elijah as she said the last part and saw him advert his eyes.

"Why, why are we your enemies?" Rebekah asked, her temper failing as she considered Elena's words. She couldn't even think of the possibility of ever hating the girl across from her or the blonde chasing after her brother, no matter how betrayed and hurt she felt at the moment.

"Hmmm…that is hard to explain. There are still things that need to happen before everything can be revealed." Elena answered cryptically, "But what I can say, is you resent me for having Stefan's love because you once loved him a few decades before I met him. And you dislike Caroline because you think she has the perfect life that you deserve, at least that is our leading theory."

"I can't believe that there is a time when I could hate you for such petty things." Rebekah replied quietly, "I must became so shallow with the passing of time."

"Things will be different when we return to the future Rebekah, we can all have another chance." Elena promised her and wished she could hug the newly turned vampire, but was sure that with her emotional state that would be a bad idea.

"I…I need some time alone." Rebekah said quickly and bolted off into the darkness with her new found speed.

Elena watched Elijah closely as he moved to join her on her side of the fire, but he kept a good distance between them, "You mentioned something about Tatia."

Elena sighed and bit her bottom lip nervously before saying, "The blood your mother gave you to cast the spell was hers. I'm sorry Elijah, she is dead."

Elijah was silent for a long time, Elena wasn't sure what to do. She longed to touch him, to comfort him, but didn't know how great his control was. "It is strange, I thought I would be more upset at this news." He said suddenly, looking up at Elena and away from the fire, "I guess my feelings for her weren't as strong as I thought."

Elena didn't know how to reply to that, so instead she said, "Can you forgive me for lying to you? I don't know what I would do if you hated me."

"I could never hate you Elena. And yes, I forgive you." Elijah replied quickly, "Is this how you knew you would soon return home?"

"Yes. Ayanna said that once you turned into vampires at the next solstice she could return us home. The spell requires precise timing in both the past and the future…"

"So you need us to talk to a witch in the future to return you home." Elijah finished, feeling a bit used, and asked, "Why are we enemies in the future Elena? You can tell me anything, I will not repeat it to my siblings. I just want the truth, I need the truth."

Elena felt tears prick at her eyes, "You come to Mystic Falls, that is the name of this place in the future, to find me, to use me in your plan to kill Klaus."

"What?" Elijah yelled, jumping to his feet, causing Elena to involuntarily flinch, "Why would I try to kill my brother?"

"Klaus is a very different person in the future Elijah. He is obsessed with breaking a curse that…a very powerful witch bestows on him. That obsession drives the two of you apart." Elena explained without giving too much detail, that could always come later if need be.

"And why would he need you to do that?" He asked next, his voice still agitated as he sat back down, closer this time than he had been before.

"I am what is called a doppelganger. A supernatural being that has very special blood, it is the key ingredient to the spell Klaus needs to break his curse. The doppelganger only comes around every few hundred years, as far as I know there was only one before me other than the Original, to whom I look identical." Elena explained, wondering if she tell him about her connection to Tatia, and decided that she didn't want to lie to him anymore, "This is not what I usually look like Elijah. Caroline is not my sister, just one of my best friends. Ayanna cast an appearance spell on me to conceal my true looks because the Original doppelganger was walking around. Tatia is my ancestor many times removed. In the future, I look exactly like her."

Elijah looked at her with confused eyes that bored into her own. He spoke slowly and quietly, "I have always noticed the similarity in your eyes, but never thought much of it. Brown is not an uncommon color, and yours has always held much more warmth than I ever saw in hers." He paused for a moment and looked away, "My mother curses Klaus, doesn't she?"

"Elijah…" Elena started, but he interrupted her, "I won't ask why, I am sure I will learn in time. It must happen soon though, for her to still have access to Tatia's blood to use it for the spell."

"I honestly don't know when it happens, only after Klaus kills his first human." Elena said and took a deep breath as she realized what she revealed.

Elijah didn't seem to catch her slip though, or was gentleman enough to ignore it, "So, I guess I really was wrong when I said you don't know what the future holds, you know a lot."

"You were also wrong when you said that you had no place in my future. We might have started out as enemies Elijah, but you are the only member of your family I trust in the future." Elena assured him and found the courage to grab his hand.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it, "I should go. The longer I sit next to you the stronger the urge to attack your pulsing neck. I must go find my father and ask him what we should do. I will see you tomorrow night Elena."

"Good night Elijah." Elena told him as she watched him walk away and finally let the tears she had been holding back fall from her eyes.

* * *

Caroline was surprised at how quickly she was able to find Klaus, but the smell of fresh blood was really what gave it away. She saw him feeding off one of the men from the village just a few feet into the woods, "Klaus, stop." She screamed and tried to pull him off, but he didn't budge, "Nik, you need to let go. You need to listen to me, you do not need to kill him."

Klaus dropped the man quickly and stepped away, looking with horror at the man barely breathing at his feet, "I'm sorry, I never…" He stuttered before flashing off.

Caroline sighed before dropping to her knees, she gave the man some of her blood before compelling him to forget everything that just happened and to stay inside at night from now on.

"Nik! Nik!" She yelled as she ran after him, and stopped as she found looking out over the river, "Nik, talk to me, please."

"I….I would have killed that man if you hadn't shown up." He whispered, turning to look at her, "The blood was just, was just so…"

"Intoxicating, I know." Caroline answered for him and came to stand closer to him, "It gets easier, the first days are the hardest." She reached up and cupped his face, "I wish I could have saved you from this."

His eyes suddenly hardened, and he snapped, pulling away from her touch "Then why didn't you?"

"I couldn't!" She yelled, tears filling her eyes, "If you never became a vampire, then I would never be a vampire, and who knows how many people would be dead right now. I wouldn't even be here talking to you. Magic doesn't allow such things, if it did, I would have saved you. I hate seeing you in such pain."

"Are we together in the future love? This future you are so desperate to get back to?" Klaus asked suddenly, his earlier conversation with Elijah popping into his head.

Caroline looked away before answering, "No, we aren't. I already told you, at home I am with Tyler. At least I was. I promise Nik, once I get back there, he and I are over. I could never imagine going through my life without you." She paused before fighting back her tears, "That is, if you still want me. I will understand if you don't, I have betrayed you."

Klaus stepped up to her and brought his mouth down hard on her own, causing her to stumble slightly at the force. His arms wrapped around her, keeping her steady as he lost himself in her lips. The kiss lasted long, neither really needing to breathe, but he eventually broke the contact, "I will never not want you love."

"I hope so." She whispered and kissed him again, but this one didn't last nearly as long, "I am sure you have more questions for me. Maybe I should answer them before we forget ourselves."

"When were you going to tell me about your returning home? Elijah told me this afternoon that Elena talked to him about it yesterday." He informed her, watching emotions play across her face.

"I wasn't sure what to say." Caroline answered, "I wanted to tell you but I was sure that if I started I would reveal too much, I am an awful liar. I promise that it won't be a goodbye forever, only a little while."

"A thousand years is more than a little while love." Klaus said, tucking some of her loose strands behind her ear.

"Once the spell to return us home is conducted, you won't remember us until Bonnie casts the spell that sends us here in the first place." Caroline explained, "So if won't seem like a thousand years, maybe only a few weeks."

"I don't like the idea of not remembering you." He whispered, cupping her face now.

"I don't either, but it has to happen because we can't be changing the future." Caroline whispered, her blue eyes captivated by his own.

Klaus leaned in but stopped just before kissing her, "I think a part of me will always remember who you are love."

Caroline just sighed at the love she felt flowing from him and closed the gap between them. Klaus took control and pushed her up against a nearby tree. Caroline felt his hands start to wander and her own followed suit. There was no more need to talk, their bodies could tell each other what the other felt better than words ever could.

* * *

 

She was waiting in silence as she looked out the window of her modest cabin just on the outskirts of town, safe from the prying eyes of her children. Her one visitor was her secret weapon and he was late. Esther was sure her plan would work, and once she had her powers back, all hell would break lose in Mystic Falls.

She heard a door open somewhere in the house, she knew who it was, her wards would only allow him to enter, "You are late." She chimed as turned to look at her guest.

"Being a secret double agent is hard work. I would think that keeping my cover would be more important than being on time." He replied, taking a seat in her living room. His eyes scanned her slowly before he said, "Or would you rather all your hard work over the last year and my countless deaths be wasted?"

"So snippy today Alaric." Esther responded, taking a seat in the chair opposite him, "And what do my children have planned, the full moon is tomorrow?"

"The plans have not changed. They plan to conduct the spell just after midnight, when the moon is highest, as the spell asks for. Your children have been…especially interested in making sure the spell goes off without a hitch." Alaric told Esther, watching her before adding, "They know that you are using them to gain access to the past. Your children are smarter than you give them credit for. Rebekah and Kol found the mistake in Bonnie's original spell."

"Doesn't matter, they are still going through with it." Esther commented, though inside she was furious that they had found out about her involvement, it could make the next part of her plan harder to do.

"How did you know that they would go through with it, you never seemed to doubt their resolve to get the girls back." Alaric lounged causally, not really caring for her motives just as long as they helped him kill the vampires infesting the town.

Esther paused as she thought how to answer his question, "I know my children better than anyone else, maybe even themselves."

"What is your plan after you get your magic back?" Alaric wondered aloud as he stood up, knowing what her answer was going to be, as it was always the line to end their conversations.

"You will learn that with time." She replied cryptically and turned to look at her burning fire, her thoughts lost to the past, as her companion left the house. All Esther had left to do now was wait, soon she would be able to right all the wrongs she conducted so long ago.


	20. Transitions

Caroline was surprised at how quickly the last two weeks had flown by. She had been spending her nights teaching the Originals how to contain their cravings, the four she liked anyway. She was still doing her best to avoid Mikael as much as possible, afraid of what he would do to her for compelling him, though she was technically older than him in this moment, he was still an Original and that made him stronger. Finn barely left the house, too depressed to do anything but sulk, that is how Kol explained it to her at least. Kol and Rebekah were trying hard but both had already killed someone on accident, causing grief to both. Elijah was doing the best at keeping his control but Caroline knew it was only a matter of time, she was assuming it would be once she left and they forgot all about her teachings. Klaus was struggling, she could see it every time he fed, and she knew that once he tried to feed without her he would kill his victim.

A knock on the door to the house surprised her, it was just after midday and she wasn't expecting anyone. She went to answer it, and was surprised to see Klaus standing there, "Hello love." He said with a smile.

"Did your mom figure out the daylight rings?" She asked as she joined him outside.

"Yes, and it is nice to be out in the sunlight again." He joked and pulled her into a hug, "I was hoping you and I could get in some private training."

"Training? Is that really what you have in mind?" Caroline asked, as he led them off into the woods.

Klaus just as smirked and picked her up once they were out of eyesight of anyone in the village, "Oh I think you know exactly what I have in mind." He said and used his new speed to get them to their destination quicker.

* * *

Elena knew one thing she wasn't going to miss about this time, hauling water, she was sick of it. She finished filling her bucket and turned to walk back to the house, where she was sure Caroline was still sleeping. She walked about three feet when a voice stopped her, "Let me carry that for you."

Elena turned and smiled at her savior, "You are out during the day?"

"Yes, Mother figured out a spell to allow us to walk around." Elijah replied as he took the bucket from her, "It was about time too."

"So, Caroline tells me you are doing great with your training." Elena commented as they walked, and Elena couldn't help but notice the nervous glances the townsfolk cast in their direction before hurrying into nearby homes.

"She tells me that as well, but it is still a struggle." He answered, stopping outside of her temporary home, "I just don't know how long I will be able to keep this control."

"I know it isn't easy Elijah. I may never have gone through it myself, but I think I know enough vampires where I get the general idea. Even if you do slip up every now and then, it doesn't make you a horrible person. Everyone loses themselves sometimes." Elena assured him, reaching out and giving his hand a quick squeeze before releasing it.

"Has Ayanna figured out the day for your return?" Elijah asked, changing the subject to try and get his mind off the feeling of her skin.

"She wishes to discuss it with us tonight. We will be sure to let all of you know as soon as we know. We aren't lying to you anymore." Elena promised. She opened the door to the house and carried the bucket it, leaving the door open so she could still talk to Elijah. Ayanna had made them promise to not invite any of the new vampires into her home.

"Only to Klaus?" He questioned, still angry that his mother would dare harm his brother in such a way that it would ruin their relationship.

"Only for now, once he is cursed there will truly be no more lies." Elena promised him as she walked up to the door, stopping just before she went back outside, "You still haven't told him right?"

"I gave you my word that I wouldn't and so I haven't." Elijah assured her, his voice remaining calm, "Have you thought anymore on what you will do when you return?"

Elena cast her eyes away from his, "Yes but I have still not made a decision. There are too many variables. I don't think I can make the correct decision without talking to each of them, until I see if the connection I had with them is still present after so much time apart."

"And if the connection is different?" Elijah asked, wishing he could take her into his arms and prove to her that in them was where she belonged. He also wished he could bring himself to tell her that he loved her but he didn't think she returned his feelings and his heart couldn't suffer another heartbreak.

Elena locked her eyes with his, "If things are different, then they are different. I won't hold on to what I had with them. When I get back…." She paused and looked away, catching sight of Rebekah and Kol walking quickly back toward their home before looking at him again, "When I get back I want us to talk about this again Elijah. You might feel differently then too, it will have been a thousand years for you."

"I don't see me changing my mind about us Elena. You know where I stand, I won't jump into a war between those brothers but if you want me I'm here for you." He told her, the closest he ever came to saying what his heart truly felt.

Elena sighed, gripping the door, and whispered "Sometimes we all need a little push Elijah."

"Ele…"

"No, I will see you tonight Elijah. I just really need to be alone right now." Elena said, cutting him off and closing the door before he could say anything else.

* * *

Caroline walked into the house with a smile on her face, she was really glad she was able to get in a little alone time with Klaus. Lately it just seemed like all she did was try to prevent the Originals from going crazy and destroying the entire village in their blood lust. When she was with Klaus she really felt like they were the only ones in the world and she loved it more than anything.

"About time you are back." Elena teased as she took in her appearance, "Enjoy your day?"

"Always do." She commented and took a seat next to her friend near the fire.

"Now that you are both here, let's begin." Ayanna said, turning from her table filled with magic ingredients to join the girls around the fire, "Tomorrow night is the solstice, just after midnight I will conduct the spell. I will need both of you present, of course, but also any Original that will be present in the future."

"That will be Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah and Kol." Elena supplied, watching as Ayanna took in the information.

"Mikael and Finn, where are they?" She asked, not really looking at either girl for the answer.

"Both are dead." Caroline answered, "Mikael is killed by Klaus and Finn is killed by us."

"Did either have interaction with you before their deaths?" Ayanna questioned, needing to know everything she could.

"I had interactions with both, but I looked like myself at the time. Elena is not that uncommon of a name, I am sure neither will make the connection." Elena told her.

"I never saw Mikael before coming here. As for Finn, he may have seen me a few times but I never spoke to him, and I have done my best to avoid Finn here as much as possible." Caroline informed her, thinking hard to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

"Alright, then we should have no problems with the memory spell then. Tomorrow afternoon we will travel to the location that you first arrived in. I will describe the spell to all of them then, hopefully it won't be completely lost on them." Ayanna said, both Caroline and Elena had to hold back a laugh at her last statement.

* * *

Klaus knew he should stop, he could feel his victims heartbeat slowing but he couldn't find the will to release the throat that was giving him such sweet blood. As he sucked out the last drops, he let go of the young woman he had fed on and gently put her on the ground, he felt the start of guilt. Caroline would be so disappointed in him, he was sure of it.

A pain shot through his body, it was so intense he instantly fell to his knees, an involuntary scream escaped him. The pain was growing and he could feel his bones start to break and his body begin to shift in unnatural ways. He was pretty sure he could vaguely hear his sister and brothers calling for him. His screams were getting their attention. He used all his strength to propel himself a little deeper into the woods before the pain became too much and he again feel to his knees.

"Niklaus, what is happening?" He heard a voice ask, though in his pain he couldn't identify to whom it belonged.

Klaus screamed again as his hands started to change into claws and he felt his face start to elongate.

"Your eyes!" He heard a more feminine voice say and assumed it was Rebekah, "What is happening to him?"

"Leave! All of you need to leave now!" A forceful voice shouted at his siblings, Klaus cringed as he recognized it as his father's.

He heard the shuffling of feet and assumed that they had listened, which he was thinking was a good thing. He had a good idea of what was happening to him now and it frightened him.

The last thing he heard before his mind could no longer focus was, "I guess this means you are no son of mine."

* * *

Caroline looked suddenly at the door, causing both Ayanna and Elena to look at her strangely. Caroline felt her breathing start to increase as she began to panic, "Rebekah's is coming. I think it happened Elena." She explained at looked at Elena with large eyes.

"What has happened?" Ayanna asked, looking between the two girls with confusion.

"Klaus activated his werewolf gene." Elena answered, not sure what to do with the sudden emotion she felt pouring through her.

The pounding on the door stopped any further questions, and Caroline was at the door before another knock could sound. "Bekah." She said and went out to hug the blonde Original with tears streaking down her face.

"I don't know what happened Care." Rebekah sobbed into her shoulder, her hug so tight that Caroline was happy she didn't need to breathe, "He just started screaming in pain and then his body…."

"Shhh…everything is going to be alright. Nik is going to be alright." Caroline soothed her, rubbing small circles on her back. Caroline heard Elena step up behind them and saw her lay a hand on Rebekah's head, giving comfort the only way she could.

Rebekah pulled away from their touches and looked at them with confused looks, "Did you know this was going to happen?"

"Yes, we knew." Caroline answered, and grabbed Rebekah's hand, "And that is why you have to trust me when I say that Nik is going to be fine."

"What is happening to him?" Elijah's voice said suddenly from the left, none of them had noticed his presence before.

Elena took a few unconscious steps toward him before catching herself, and looked to Caroline to answer. Caroline took a deep breath and explained, "Esther had an affair, Klaus isn't Mikael's son. What happened tonight was the activation of his werewolf gene, he is now a Hybrid, both a werewolf and a vampire."

"Our mother…" Rebekah started to say and looked at Elijah, who looked just as shocked at the news.

"How long will Niklaus be a….wolf for?" Elijah asked, still avoiding eye contact with all those present.

"I…I don't know." Caroline answered, looking to Elena, who just shook her head, "As far as I know he has only fully transformed twice in his entire life."

"Why?" Rebekah asked.

"You saw him change Rebekah, how much pain he was in, would you want to experience that if you didn't have to?" Elena asked, surprised at her insight into the matter.

"No." Rebekah whispered, and went to wrap her arms around Caroline, "I was just so afraid."

Elena looked at Elijah and watched as he slowly walked away, she glanced at her friends and noticed that Caroline was leading Rebekah to the fire. She slowly followed Elijah, hoping that he knew she was following and would be waiting not too far away.

"Elena." His voice whispered from the shadows of the nearby trees.

She walked slowly to the location she had heard the whisper, her eyes slowly adjusting to the low lighting, the moon was almost full. She trusted Elijah to keep her from harm with his superior eyesight and she wasn't wrong. She felt a hand find hers and she was pulled into a hug. Elena savored the moment, she had not been this close to him since he had turned, and she had missed it.

"How are you handling everything?" She whispered, breathing in his scent before pulling away to look at him.

"I was not expecting that. Growing up in a village full of werewolves you would think that it would be easy to notice the signs." Elijah admitted, his hand rubbing up and down her arm.

"You had no reason to ever question your mother's loyalty to Mikael." Elena told him, trying to pick up his confidence, "Do you think any less of Klaus now that you know he is not your full blood brother?"

"No. Niklaus is still my brother, no matter who his father is and I will not abandon him." Elijah assured Elena.

"Good, I was hoping you would say that, because he is going to need his big brother now more than ever." Elena said, reaching up to cup his cheek, loving the feel of it against her hand.

Elijah tilted his head down and kissed her slowly, testing to see his control with their close proximity. He felt his desire take control, but it wasn't for her blood. He gently pushed her up against a tree, his lips and hers working in prefect unison. As the kiss intensified so did her heartbeat. He pulled away quickly and put a few feet between them, trying to get his blood lust under control.

"It will get better with time Elijah." Elena informed him, a small smile on her face.

He just nodded and held out his hand, "Let's get back to the village. Rebekah is probably in need of me."

"Of course, Klaus will probably be in wolf form for most of the night. You should go look for him in morning if he hasn't returned." Elena said as they walked the short distance back to her home.

"His ring probably fell off when he turned, will he burn in the sun?" Elijah asked, suddenly very worried for his brother.

"No, his werewolf half will protect him from it." Elena answered, squeezing the hand she held in hers.

"I don't know what I would do without you." Elijah whispered, and Elena knew she probably wasn't supposed to hear it, so she didn't say anything more.

* * *

She heard the door slam and the next thing she knew there was a hand at her throat, "How could you do this?" Her husband's voice rasped angrily into her ear.

Esther couldn't breathe so she used the only defense she had, magic. Mikael fell away from her clutching his head in pain. After a few seconds Esther released the power and asked, "What is wrong Mikael?" A hand going to rub her throat where his hand had been.

Mikael glared at her as he got to his feet, "I just witnessed Niklaus turn into a wolf. Now tell me, how could that be possible?"

Esther felt her face fall completely and was sure she was as pale as a ghost. Her greatest fear was coming to pass, her deepest secret was uncovered. She had always feared that Niklaus was not Mikael's son, as she had known it was a possibility ever since she learned she was pregnant. Esther had feared for the day Niklaus would have his first human kill, in their world it was a nearly impossible thing to avoid. She never would have thought that by turning him into a vampire that his werewolf gene would still be able to activate. She had just created an even larger monster than she had ever intended.

"Nothing to say?" Mikael asked, his voice still angry. He could see the fear and guilt lace every feature of her body.

"I am sorry for betraying you." She whispered, her voice barely audible, "I never wished for you to learn about my indiscretion, especially not in this way."

"This was the worst way!" Mikael screamed, advancing slowly on her but stopping before he touched her, "I just watched my son turn into a wolf, proving without a doubt that he was no real son of mine. For over twenty years you have lain in my bed, keeping this a secret from me. Forcing me to raise a child that was never mine, knowing that once he killed someone this curse would be activated. You put our children in danger by allowing them to live with one of them!"

"I was never sure that he was not yours." Esther admitted, locking eyes with her husband, "Is there any way you can forgive me?"

Mikael turned away from his wife and walked to the window, he glanced about the village and noticed that Kol and Finn were walking away from the home. He had not seen Elijah or Rebekah since they had run to Klaus' scream, he assumed they were with those women. The blonde he still needed to deal with, she had compelled him, something that should not have been possible. A long, lonely howl laced the night, bringing him back to the present problem at hand. "You need to stop him. Such a creature cannot be allowed to exist, especially if he has the ability to make more like him."

"I cannot kill my son Mikael." Esther defended, shocked that he would suggest it.

"Then just kill his werewolf side. Use your magic to make it dormant again, make him just a normal monster like his siblings." Mikael suggested instead, "Can you do that?"

"Yes." Esther answered and started looking for a spell among her many possessions.

She stilled as she felt Mikael come stand behind her, "Try not to disappoint me again my love."

"Never again husband." She promised, and looked at the jar that contained the last of Tatia's blood, spelled for preservation, and an idea for a curse popped into her head.

* * *

Klaus woke up in a pile of leaves, his naked body was filthy but he was surprised at how well he felt physically. The night was still upon them and his mind wandered to the events of earlier. He was a werewolf, that much he was certain of, but he was also a vampire. He was now something unique, a one of a kind, and that made him a freak. Klaus slowly got to his feet and started walking toward home, he had so many questions about this, and there was one person who could gave him the answers, his mother.

As he walked he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart. It didn't feel like it had when he first changed, this was something different. He knew that magic was working on him and used his speed to race home.

Before he could open the door the pain became too much and he feel to his knees, a hand pressed over his heart, the center of the pain. He could hear his mother chanting on the other side of the door, and his fear was confirmed, his mother was using her magic to hurt him.

The pain stopped at the same time as her chanting. Another voice, that of his father said, "Is it done?"

"Yes, he will no longer be able to activate his werewolf side." Esther told her husband, and Klaus was too shocked to move from his place on the ground.

"Forever?" Mikael asked, and Klaus could hear the joy in his voice.

"No, unfortunately there is always a way to break a curse, but the ingredients to conduct such a spell will be almost impossible to find all at once." Esther informed the man in front of her, unaware that her son was getting increasingly angrier with each word she spoke.

"Excellent. Will you be alright if I leave for a while, there is something I need to take care of." Mikael questioned though he did not wait for an answer before leaving through the back door.

Klaus' anger had bubbled over and he stormed into the house as soon as he was sure his father was gone. "How could you do this to me? You are supposed to protect me, not curse me!" Klaus ragged at the woman in front of him, his face contorted in his rage.

"I did this to protect the world Niklaus." Esther defended, wishing that she had not just used so much of her magic on the previous spell, she felt defenseless against her son, "You could create a plague if you were left unchecked."

"I did not ask for this to happen to me, any of it! All that I am is because of you! You were unfaithful to your husband. You used your magic to turn me into a vampire. Both of those things made me who I now am, and that is all your fault! You created me Mother, you should have the decency to admit it!"

Her hand acted on its own and slapped him across the face, "I am still your Mother and will not be talked to in such a way."

He glared at her, his anger still in complete control, "I will talk to you however I wish. You are nothing but a whore and I am your greatest regret."

She moved to slap him again, but he caught her wrist and he gripped it tightly, cracking the bones beneath his hand. "I should have killed you, not just cursed you." She spat at him, trying not to scream out at the pain in her arm but she could not fight back the tears that fell from her eyes.

"Allow me to help with your guilt." He sneered and used his free hand to reach into her chest, and put his hand around her heart, "You broke my heart today Mother, it is only fair that I return the favor." A tear escaped his eye as he pulled his hand free, taking his mother's heart with him.

Klaus felt like time stopped as he looked at his mother's body, her heart still in his hand. The tears were falling silently but steady from his eyes. His anger had greatly subsided with the passing of time.

"Nik?" A sweet voice said from the doorway and he turned quickly to look at his blonde angel. Her eyes were wide as she took in his appearance, he had never grabbed any clothes, and he was still holding his mother's heart.

"What have I done Caroline?" He whispered and dropped the heart before stumbling backwards. He hit the wall and slowly slid down it, crumpling into a pile, tears falling down still.

Caroline grabbed a blanket off a chair and knelt beside him, wrapping him in the blanket, more for comfort than for the warmth it provided, "You were angry and she betrayed you."

"Was this something else you knew would happen?" He asked, though there was no anger in his voice this time. He understood why she could not tell him about this, it was too much for him to handle without experiencing it.

"Yes, it was the final piece to your history that I had to keep from you." She whispered. Caroline had somewhere gotten a wet cloth and bucket, she slowly removed some of the dirt from his face, wiping his tears as she did.

"How can you love me? I am such a monster. I am a werewolf but a vampire and I just ripped my own mother's heart out." He questioned, his voice defeated.

"You are not a monster." She defended, and added, "I love you because I do, there is no explanation I can give you that will pinpoint the reasons for my love. You just need to trust that I do love you, no matter what."

Klaus locked his eyes with hers, searching them for a lie that did not exist.

"Let's get you into some clothes." Caroline suggested, pulling him to his feet.

"I will do it myself." He answered gruffly, and Caroline just nodded, understanding his need for a moment alone.

Caroline looked at the body on the ground and felt sorry for the woman on the ground. She had made so many mistakes in the name of protecting her family and it had cost her everything. Caroline took the blanket that Klaus had left on the ground and used it to cover Esther's body, as a sign of respect.

A hand gripped her suddenly and she was pushed roughly against the wall, "Where is Niklaus?"

Caroline remained silent as she struggled against his superior grip, finding it super unfair that he was younger than her but stronger at the same time.

"I know you know little whore. I also know that no matter how hard I squeeze that you will not die. I remember what you said to me after Henrik's death, what you forced me to do. Nice to know that I no longer have to listen to your compulsion, now, I will ask again, where is Niklaus?" Mikael told her, tightening his grip.

Mikael was ripped away from her and she fell to the ground, her hands going instinctively to her throat. Klaus stood protectively in front of her, "Don't you dare touch her again."

"I will do whatever I like boy. You killed my love, it only seems fair that I should get to kill yours." Mikael sneered and lunged at Klaus.

The men started fighting with such speed and aggression that Caroline had never felt more afraid in her life. A noise that was out of place caused Caroline to look at the door, Elijah, Rebekah and Kol were standing there, looking around in confusion. Caroline took the opportunity to begin the lie that would shape their lives, "Mikael killed Esther, now he is trying to kill Klaus, help him!"

Elijah and Kol immediately jumped to their brother's aid while Rebekah ran to Caroline's side, pulling her to her feet.

Mikael pushed away from his sons, and glared at each in turn before settling his eyes on Klaus, "This isn't over boy, and it won't be until I kill you." He ran out of the house before anyone could even blink.

Everyone was silent for the longest time, no one wanting to be the first to break the silence. So absorbed were they in their thoughts that no one heard Elena arrive until she asked, "What happened?"

* * *

 

Bonnie sighed with frustration as she read over the spell to get Caroline and Elena back for what felt like the hundredth time. The wording hadn't changed nor had the ingredients, but she couldn't make another mistake, she had made too many already. She opened the box that contained their blood, checking again to make sure that neither was broken and the contents were safe. She closed the box carefully and gently put it into the larger box that would be carried to the clearing tomorrow night.

A knock at the door caused her to get up, she was curious as to who it would be, and sighed as she opened it, "What do you want Kol?"

Kol smirked at her, "I was just wondering if you were up for some company sweetheart?" He said and held up a brown paper bag, "I brought refreshments."

"Getting me drunk won't change my mind." She retorted, still unsure if she wanted to test the waters with him.

"You've already changed your mind though. I saw the way you watched me when we were playing pool with Bekah and Matt. You want me Bonnie, you want to know what it is like. Listen to your curiosity sweetheart, give me a chance. You won't regret it." He insisted, moving to lean lazily against her door frame.

Bonnie felt her breath hitch, she had not noticed that he had seen her that night, and was unsure how to push him away, and not sure she even really wanted to.

"Come on little witch. Invite me in." Kol said, and Bonnie could see the confidence in his expression slowly start to fade.

She took a deep breath and placed a smile on her face, her decision made, "Kol, won't you please come in?"

Kol's entire face lit up with his smile as he walked into the house. Bonnie closed the door behind him and turned around, bumping into him as she did. She did not have much time to react as she found his lips suddenly on hers and she lost herself in the sensations.

* * *

Damon took a long drink before looking at his brother in the chair next to him, "Do you think things will be different when we get them back?"

Stefan looked up from the book he was pretending to read, unable to focus on the words, "I honestly have no idea. I also feel like the Originals aren't telling us everything."

"You think?" Damon asked, sarcasm lacing his tone, "I think more happened in the past than the girls just using them to get home. Rebekah has been acting super friendly to Bonnie and Matt lately, almost like she trying to gain friends."

"She probably is Damon, you have said yourself that she is lonely." Stefan pointed out, "It is how different Klaus has been that concerns me. He hasn't once in the last two weeks threatened to kill us or mentioned wanting to make more hybrids."

"Yeah, I noticed." Damon commented, swirling the drink in his hand, "Want to bet that Blondie finally succumbed to his evil ways?"

"Give Caroline a little more credit please Damon." Stefan defended, but he had to admit it would explain a lot of Klaus' changes, and Tyler's unending bad mood.

"Admit it little brother, it makes sense." He responded, sipping his drink.

Stefan was silent for a while before saying, "It does, but let's not jump to conclusions until they get back. You never know, Elena may be different as well."

Damon finished his drink, "Elijah is too cocky lately when it comes to Elena, should we be worried?"

"Elijah is too honorable to do anything that was against Elena's wishes, you know that." Stefan answered cryptically.

"That wasn't what I asked." Damon commented as he poured himself another drink.

"Elena has always had a fondness for Elijah. If she allowed herself to give into that, then yes, I think that we should we worried. But I also think that we should accept whatever Elena chooses to do." Stefan replied standing up to leave, annoyed with the direction this conversation had gone.

"I was willing to make that deal when it was just between the two of us, because you are my brother. I cannot promise to just bow out easily because Elena asks me to if Elijah is involved." Damon told his brother as he watched him walk away, hoping that he wouldn't actually have to follow through on his words.


	21. 88 Miles an Hour

Caroline looked at the house that had been her home for nearly eight months and was surprised to think that she would miss it on some level. A hand wrapped around hers, "I never expected to actually like it here so much."

"I didn't either." Caroline answered and looked at her best friend, "I have gotten used to seeing you like this too. It will almost be strange to see the real you again." She joked, causing Elena to giggle as well.

"I will probably look a different anyway. Eight months Care, and the world is so much harder here, I bet there will be a few new lines on my face." Elena said, running a hand over cheek.

"Yes, but you'll still be beautiful." Caroline assured her, moving to wrap a hand around Elena's shoulder, "And all the men will still be chasing after you."

"I don't want to be chased anymore Care." Elena admitted, leaning into the blonde a bit more, both their eyes still on the house.

"Then let yourself be caught." Caroline replied before pulling away, "Come on, we should find them."

Elena didn't move to follow her, "Caroline, I need…" She stopped herself as her brown eyes locked on Caroline's blue ones, "Never mind."

"Are you sure? We can always be a little late." Caroline insisted, watching Elena carefully, "It isn't like they can start without us."

"Yeah, it isn't important right now. Let's go home." Elena replied with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

* * *

Elena hated all this walking, for nearly two hours now that is all they had been doing, walking. Caroline was leading the way, Klaus was practically glued to her side, but he had not said a word all day. Elena felt for him, the last 24 hours of his life had been awful. His father had tried to kill him, his mother had betrayed him, and then he had killed her. Not to mention that the one person that was helping him keep what was left of his humanity in tact would be gone by this time tomorrow.

Ayanna was busy explaining the spell to Kol and Rebekah, she had decided that because of their limited witch training they would be the best to relay the information to.

Elijah was walking behind everyone else, just remaining the strong silent type. He claimed it was to make sure that Mikael didn't come up and attack them, but Elena thought it was just his way of collecting his thoughts.

Finn had disappeared after he came home and found them all hovering over Esther's body. He found it hard to believe that Mikael would kill her and in his anger left, yelling that he didn't wish to see any of them ever again. Elijah had gone after him but had returned alone, saying that Finn just needed some time to himself.

Elena was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that she ventured off the path until she tripped over an exposed root. She tumbled down a low embankment and heard some of her bones crack. She let out a tiny scream of pain as she moved to sit, holding her bent arm and trying not to jar her left leg which had an exposed bone.

"Elena!" She heard Elijah scream stopping a few feet from her, his eyes locked on the blood that was streaming from her leg, "I'll…I will go get Caroline."

"Elijah, I don't think there is time for that." Elena whispered, her eyes were going blurry and her breathing was shallow, "I am losing too much blood."

"I can't Elena." He said, taking a step back, his face transforming as he did.

"I trust you Elijah, you just have to trust yourself." Elena whispered, her head starting to spin, she felt herself start to fall backwards.

An arm circled her shoulders and a wrist was pressed up against her mouth. She sucked in the blood, enjoying the relief that spread through her body. Elena released his wrist, and looked up at him, "See, I knew you could do it."

Elijah gave a strained smile and lifted her up into his arms, "Only for you." He whispered and raced to catch up to the rest of their group.

Caroline turned as she caught the scent of blood, and was surprised to see Elijah coming up carrying a dirty Elena, "What happened?" She asked as Elijah put her on the ground, Ayanna rushing to her side.

"She fell down, rather harshly too. I was able to heal her, she should be fine now." Elijah explained but he backed away quickly and noticed that his siblings were keeping their distance as well.

"Hey, how do you feel?" Caroline asked, brushing some of Elena's lose hair out of her face.

"Much better, Elijah saved me." She answered, "But I should probably change if we want to get there anytime soon."

"Guess it is a good thing I brought extra supplies." Ayanna commented and grabbed her bag, she took out a dress and handed it to Elena.

"Thank you Ayanna." Elena said, taking the dress, "Why don't you guys keep going, I will catch up."

"I don't think you should be left alone." Caroline said, and turned to look at those around her.

"I will stay." Elijah spoke up, "You all continue on, once Elena is ready, we will catch up."

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Caroline asked. She had been suspecting something was going on between the two for awhile now, and matter how good the control, no vampire could keep their cool with that much blood.

"I was able to control myself when she was actually bleeding, I think I can handle it when it is just stains." Elijah retorted, though he still could not look at Elena.

"Okay, catch up as soon as you can." Caroline told Elena as she got up to her feet and went to stand next to Elijah, "Be careful Elijah."

"I will Caroline." Elijah assured her, and watched them intently as they walked away. Trying not to turn around as she heard Elena untie her dress.

* * *

Caroline spun around in a circle a few times, trying to remember if this was the right location. It did look familiar, "I am pretty sure this is the right place."

"Let's set up then. The sun will soon set." Ayanna said, "Niklaus and Kol, start a fire please. Rebekah, start setting up the circle like I told you."

"What do you want me to do?" Caroline asked, watching as the others started with their chores.

"Go see where Elena and Elijah wondered off too, they should have gotten back to us by now." Ayanna suggested and Caroline nodded, she had worried about them a bit herself.

She started backtracking but didn't get more than six feet before she came across them, "I was just coming to look for you."

"I insisted on us walking." Elena clarified, giving Elijah a pointed look before turning back to Caroline, "You find the place?"

"I think so, everyone else is busy setting up now." Caroline said turning to go back to the group.

"You two go ahead, I just need a few minutes." Elena told them.

"Take your time." Caroline replied with a smile and looped her arm through Elijah's, "We are just over there, yell if you need us."

"Will do." Elena assured them and walked a little more into the woods, away from the path. She could feel her stomach starting to turn and she didn't want to be sick if front of Elijah or Caroline, they would ask to many questions.

Elena knelt on the ground, trying to recover from her nauseous, which had been happening at an alarming frequency the last few days. At first she had maybe thought it was just a bug, but Elijah's blood had done nothing to stop her illness, as it would have if she was sick. She had been ignoring the signs, she knew that, hoping that it was just the stress of Henrik's death, them becoming vampires, and their worry at returning home that was preventing her period. But, with the nauseous, and her sore breasts added to her missed period, she was less and less sure now.

"Elena, are you alright?" Kol asked, appearing out of the shadows, carrying firewood in his arms.

Elena looked up at the Original, there was true concern on his features, and Elena just let the tears start to flow. There was no holding them back, she didn't even bother to try.

Kol looked at the crying girl and wasn't sure what to do, he was not the best at giving comfort, but he loved Elena as a sister, and that feeling led him to kneel beside her and pull her head to rest on his chest. "Shhh….it will all be alright. Tell me what is wrong." He soothed, gently brushing her hair as she clung to him.

Elena didn't answer right away, she just cried. After she felt her tears start to slow she whispered, "I think I'm pregnant." She felt Kol still completely, and knew the news was just as much a shock to him as her, though probably not as much as it would be to everyone else. Kol was still the only one who knew that her and Elijah were having an affair.

"Are you certain?" He asked, it was the only question to come to his reeling mind.

"Not a hundred percent, but the likelihood is high. All the signs are there Kol. I will know for sure when I return to the future, there are tests there that I can take. Should I tell him?" Elena asked, pulling out of his arms to look at him.

Kol seriously thought on the idea before looking at her and saying, "No. You shouldn't tell him until you know for sure."

"Will you be able to keep it a secret? I don't want to put that kind of pressure on you." Elena questioned, seriously wondering when she started considering Kol someone she could trust.

"Yes, it will only be for the a few more hours in this time. And though you don't know the time difference for the future, I promise to keep it to myself Elena." Kol promised her, taking one her hands and giving it a kiss, "One should never betray family right?" He asked with a coy smile, but Elena could see the true meaning behind his question.

"No, and keeping this secret will make you my second favorite brother." Elena teased, cracking a true smile for the first time since she had started suspecting she was pregnant.

"Only second?" Kol rebuffed, "Who could possibly be better than me?"

"I have a real brother Kol, sorry, but Jeremy ekes you out." She responded, letting out a little laugh at his annoyed face.

"Well, at least I beat Nik." He said suddenly, his face beaming. Elena laughed fully at this remark, causing Kol to reply, "That is a good sound Elena, you should try to laugh more often. I promise, everything will turn out for the best."

"How will he react?" Elena questioned him, seriously thinking about how Elijah, a thousand years in the future, will react to his human self-getting her pregnant.

"I highly doubt time will change Elijah too much Elena. He will be thrilled. He loves you, even if he hasn't said it, he does." Kol assured her, "And, he will be an excellent father, whether he is a human or a vampire. The only real question you have left to answer Elena is, do you love Elijah?"

Elena didn't know what to say, she did love Elijah on some deep level, but she wasn't completely sure she was over Stefan, or Damon for that matter, "I do love him Kol. I just don't…"

"Think about it Elena. And don't choose him just because there is a child, that wouldn't be fair to you, to him, or to my future nephew or niece." Kol told her, getting to his feet, and holding out his hand to Elena, "Let's get back to our family."

"When do you become so sure that we are a family?" Elena asked, putting her hand in his and he pulled her up.

"The second I learned the truth about everything. Caroline is with Nik and she always will be, I see that now more than I ever did before. And as for you, you belong with Elijah, even if you don't know that yet. Also, if you are carrying my brother's child, that makes us connected through that child. Family is everything to us Elena and once you are considered a part of it, we never let you leave." Kol informed her as they walked, trying to get his point across without scaring the woman next to him.

"I didn't know you felt that way." Elena whispered, looking at Kol closely.

"We all do Elena." Kol assured her and then they were in eyesight of the group, "I will keep this to myself. And, when you get back to the future, don't forget that I am here for you."

"Thank you Kol." She said and pulled him into a quick hug, though it was awkward since he had picked his firewood back up before they left. Elena took a deep breath before they entered the group, trying to keep her worry hidden behind a well practiced mask.

* * *

Caroline was concerned, Klaus had been gone longer than he should have, night had fallen completely. Kol had returned some time ago, walking with Elena, who Caroline could see was pretending to not be upset. But she decided she would talk to Elena once they returned home and were out of earshot of others. Caroline glanced around, and noticing that everyone else was distracted setting up the spell, she took the moment to sneak away.

It took Caroline longer than she was expecting to find him. He was leaning against a tree nearly a quarter mile from their camp, just staring up at the stars. She slowly slid down next to him, he moved to wrap his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder, "I was worried about you." She whispered, one of her hands playing with his necklace.

"Sorry love, I am just not in a hurry for this night to continue." He admitted his arm tightening around her, "I don't want to forget about you."

"It will only be for a little while and then we can be together, forever." Caroline told him, turning to place a light kiss on his lips.

"A thousand years is not a little while love." Klaus retorted as she pulled back from him.

"Yes, but it won't seem like a thousand years. Maybe a month at most." Caroline assured him and moved her entire body so she was straddling him, "And then we can spend the next thousand years together."

"You won't want me for that long." Klaus said, his confidence had been extremely wounded in the last few days.

Caroline forced him to look at her, her blue eyes boring into his, "No matter what Nik, as long as you still want me, I will always be yours."

Klaus didn't know the words to respond so he kissed her passionately. Caroline melted into this touch and wished that she could stay there forever.

"Caroline, Nik!" Rebekah's voice echoed through the forest, causing both of them to groan, "Where are you? Ayanna says we need to start the spell soon!"

"We're coming!" Caroline yelled back and got to her feet, she held out her hand for him to take.

Klaus got to his feet and pulled her in for one last, long kiss before saying, "Let's return you home love, we will finish this then."

Caroline just smiled and nodded her head. She grabbed his hand and together they walked back to the group, and to the witch that would send her home.

* * *

Elena gave Kol a hug and whispered, "Thank you again."

"Of course, stay safe." Kol responded and went to say his goodbye to Caroline. The two had become good friends while she had thought them how to control their urges and what things to avoid.

Elena then moved on to Klaus, he looked nervous, probably still unsure about her feelings for him. Elena pulled him into a hug, "We will need to talk about some things when we see each other again."

"Anything you want Elena." Klaus told her, and gave her hand a kiss, "I meant what I said about proving myself to you."

Elena nodded and moved on to Rebekah, "I promise we will be still friends, don't doubt that."

"I will try not to." Rebekah replied, tears falling from her eyes.

"Hey, we will get together once we are back." Caroline said, coming up to stand next to them, "Friends forever, right?"

"Right." Rebekah answered, using her hand to wipe away her tears.

"Girls, it is time." Ayanna said standing near a circle she had created.

Caroline and Elena each stood in front of Ayanna, "Thank you again for all your help." Elena said, smiling at Ayanna.

"We really couldn't have done this without you. I wish there was something we could do to repay you." Caroline added, also smiling at the witch.

"Just protect my bloodline, that will be all the payback I will need." Ayanna said, looking at the two girls with kindness.

"Of course." Caroline said and went to take her place in the circle.

Elena stole a quick glance at Elijah before joining Caroline on the ground, "You ready?" She whispered.

Caroline just nodded, her eyes locked on Elena's,

"Each of you please put a few drops of blood on each of the candles in front of you, and then I will do the rest." Ayanna told them and then started to chant as they did so.

Elena grabbed Caroline's hands and gave them a squeeze as the atmosphere began to shift around them, and the world started to disappear.

* * *

Present

Kol walked up the steps slowly, keeping the bag safely tucked behind his back. He just hoped that his plan worked and Jeremy was willing to hear him out. He knocked on the door and took a deep breath as he waited for it to open.

"What do you want?" Jeremy asked as he looked at the Original standing on his porch.

"I was hoping you and I could talk." Kol said, smiling at the boy that he had pretended to be friends with only weeks ago.

"I got nothing to say to you." He responded and started to shut the door.

"Please Jer, let me explain." Kol insisted, wishing that the boy was less stubborn.

"What is there to explain? You were told to befriend me by Klaus so I could be used as leverage against Elena and my friends. Did I miss something?" Jeremy asked, moving to close the door again.

"No, that was all true, at first. I want us to start over Jeremy, I really did enjoy being your friend." Kol tried, hoping that his words sounded like the truth, which they were. It had been centuries since he had actually felt like even trying to connect with someone and Jeremy was a part of Elena's family, that made him a part of his. He would do anything he could to make Elena's life easier, especially now.

"And why is that? Aren't you leaving after the spell tonight?" Jeremy questioned, looking at the Original with suspicion.

"No, I plan to stay in town. My family is here and they will need me to help with my mother. Whatever she is planning cannot be good news, not for us and definitely not for Elena." Kol informed him, hoping that bringing up his sister would help with his goal of getting in the house.

"Why would she come after Elena?" Jeremy asked, his entire body taking on a different stance with the threat to his sister.

"Please, let me in, we can discuss this in more detail. You never know who is watching these days." Kol suggested, looking around just to give his theory credence.

Jeremy thought long on the idea, and sighed, "Come on in."

"Thanks Jer, I promise you won't regret this." Kol said as he came into the house, switching the bag to his other hand as he did.

"I already do." Jeremy replied as he closed the door and the two walked into the kitchen.

* * *

Klaus paced around the location of the spell uneasily as he watched Rebekah and Kol help Bonnie set up. He could see that he wasn't the only one who was being impatient, there were scattered mini-groups all around the area.

The Salvatores were standing with Alaric, deep in conversation about how to take care of Esther, easily convinced that nothing could go wrong here. Jeremy and Matt were trying to get a brooding Tyler to tell them what was wrong, but he was busy just glaring daggers at Klaus.

"I take it you told the Lockwood boy to back off from Caroline?" Elijah asked, coming up to stand next to his brother.

"I did, and he did not take it well. I also think he doesn't believe me." Klaus told him, smirking contently at Tyler when their eyes met.

"I guess that is his choice." Elijah commented, before glancing at the Salvatores.

"Don't worry, it will work out for you as well." Klaus assured his older brother, clapping him on the shoulder.

"We will see." Elijah replied before looking at their siblings, mostly Kol. He couldn't help but wonder what it was that Kol knew that made him so confident that Elena would choose him in the end.

"Okay, time to get started." Bonnie said and took her place in the circle. She picked up the vials of blood and dripped them on some candles. Her voice took on a strange quality as she began to chant.

Everyone watched in awe as the air shifted in front of the witch, causing them all to circle the area closely. Within second they could see two distinct shapes start to take form, and everyone let out a collective sigh of relief when the wind died down and in front of them were Elena and Caroline.

* * *

Esther smiled with joy as she felt her magic flow back into her body, her spell working perfectly. Through a stone that Alaric had with him, she was able to channel her magic through the loop that Bonnie opened without actually being present at the spell. She flexed her fingers as the tingled with sensations, no longer used to having power coursing through them.

"Soon I will be able to fix my mistakes." Esther whispered to the air, "Soon, all will be right with the world again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title was inspired by my favorite time travel movie ;)


	22. Back to the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline and Elena are welcomed home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn't update on Tuesday, I did try but the website wasn't working right. This is split into two POVs one from Elena and one from Caroline, so some of the parts you'll read twice. Enjoy!

Elena took a deep breath before opening her eyes and looking at the people that had surrounded her. Matt and Jeremy were watching her closely while helping Bonnie remain standing. Stefan and Damon were looking at her with mixed expressions of relief and love. Alaric's face showed nothing but relief that she was safe. Tyler and Klaus were solely focused on Caroline who was doing her best to drill a hole into the ground instead of looking at them, Elena briefly wondered if was from fear of what she would see in their gaze, or what they would see in hers. Rebekah was looking slowly between the two of them and Elena wondered how much the Original remembered of the past, of the friendship they had formed. One look at Elijah told Elena that he remembered everything. Kol was just smiling proudly, like everything that was happening was due solely to him.

Elena's gaze drifted to Bonnie when she heard Caroline say, "Thanks for getting us back Bon."

Elena watched as Bonnie shrugged off the boys and moved toward Caroline to give her a hug. Jeremy made a similar move and pulled Elena fully into his arms, "I have never been so happy to see you. I missed you so much."

"And I missed you too Jer." Elena said, holding on to her brother with all her strength, trying to keep her tears in check.

A hand touched her back and a voice said, "I am so glad you are safe Elena." Alaric said as his hand rubbed comforting circles on her back.

Elena pulled out of Jeremy's arms and turned to embrace her substitute father, "I missed you to Ric." Elena pulled back and was surprised when Jeremy hugged her again, but this one was less intense. She heard Caroline ask, "How long were we gone for?"

"Almost two weeks." Elena heard Damon respond and pushed out of Jeremy's arms to look at Caroline.

Caroline voice was full of shock as she replied, "It was only two weeks for you? This time travel thing is confusing."

"How long did you think you were gone?" Stefan asked her, though Elena noticed his eyes were still on her, not Caroline.

Caroline answered with a surprised voice, "We were gone eight months."

"We had no…" Damon started to say then turned to face the Originals, who had remained silent through this so far, "You all knew that didn't you?"

"Of course we did." Rebekah answered, and turned to watch her as she spoke, "Now that whatever spell had been put on us was broken, we remember everything. And that includes the eight months that we spent with Caroline and Elena. You never did ask how long they were with us."

Elena watched as Damon's face grew angry for a second before Stefan put a hand of his shoulder and said, "That is true, we never asked you how long they were in the past with you. We just assumed that it would be the same amount of time for them as it was for us."

"A very wrong assumption." Klaus responded and Elena couldn't help the smile that graced her face as she was able to pick up his frustration at not being able to get Caroline to look at him

The Salvatores had nothing to say to Klaus' words, as it wasn't a question or anything other than a fact. Rebekah took the moment for herself and walked up to Caroline. Rebekah's words caught everyone off guard, all those that weren't in the past anyway, "I really wish that I could have remembered our time together when I first came to Mystic Falls. I treated you so horribly. Can you forgive me?"

Elena saw Caroline's entire face relax into a smile and pulled Rebekah in for a hug, "Of course I do. I never could have been friends with you if I hadn't. And, you will now have forever to make it up to me."

Rebekah pulled Caroline into a hug and smiled as she released Caroline. Elena's eyes were still full of unshed tears as Rebekah walked up to her, "Have you forgiven me as well?"

"You know I have." Elena replied and pulled the blonde into a hug. She noticed that Caroline was walking away from the group with Tyler, and was glad she wasn't going to a part of that conversation. Elena released the blonde Original, "Things will be different now, just like I promised."

"I am looking forward to it." Rebekah answered with a smile and moved to the side as Kol nudged his way to Elena.

"You know, I think I should be getting a little more credit for all of this." He commented as he pulled Elena into a much briefer hug, who had a feeling that his words were meant for a completely different thing than everyone else was probably thinking.

"Sorry to put so much pressure on you. I thought you like a challenge?" Elena teased, and didn't miss the large eyes on many members of the audience as she did.

"I do like a challenge, that is true." Kol replied and Elena was confused when he winked at Bonnie, who blushed ridiculously. That was something for her to question at another time.

Elena glanced at Klaus who was glaring at the place where Caroline and Tyler were, but he turned away when he saw her start to walk back. He took a few steps closer to Elena, but didn't try to hug her, and she could see the careful stances of those around them as he spoke, "I look forward to that chat love, just let me know when. I am very happy to see you returned safely."

"We will talk tomorrow." Elena assured him, giving him a warm smile before he turned away to watch Caroline and Stefan as they walked back the group.

"I would like to talk then as well." Elijah's voice whispered next to her and Elena locked eyes with him and nodded, "Of course."

Bonnie's hand in her own caused her to look away from the eldest Original. The young witch pulled her into a fierce hug, "Can you forgive me for sending you back in time?"

"I was never mad at you in the first place." Elena assured her as she squeezed back.

"Good, because you will be shocked when I fill you in on everything, but that can wait until tomorrow." Bonnie said, backing up a few steps.

"My tomorrow looks like it is going to jam packed." Elena commented, she didn't think anyone over heard though.

Caroline walked up to her then, "Ready to go home and take a nice long shower?"

"Oh, that sounds a lot like heaven. And sleeping in an actual soft and warm bed!" Elena exclaimed, "Not to mention being able to wear normal clothes again." She said as she gestured at the 11th century dresses they were still wearing.

"All those things do indeed sound wonderful." Caroline agreed whole heartedly her eyes glancing at the ground.

"Well let's get you two back to your homes then." Damon suggested, making a hand motion for them to start walking toward the cars.

Elena turned and followed Damon toward the cars, wondering if she would get much say into which one she got into.

"You guys go. I will catch up with you later." She heard Caroline insist.

"Are you sure?" Bonnie asked, the fact that Klaus was the only one still left not escaping her attention.

"Of course. I will come see you tomorrow and tell you everything. I promise." Caroline assured her.

Elena stole a glance back at Caroline and noticed she was biting her lip as she watched them all walk away. Klaus was still a few feet behind her, watching Caroline carefully and waiting for his moment. Elena gave a small smile as she slid into the back of Damon's car.

Elena knew why it was Caroline chose to stay behind at the clearing and she wished her own decisions could be made so easily. Elijah had not said much, but had requested that they chat as soon as she was free and able. That conversation scared her, Elijah knew so many things about her true self that she had let very few people witness and that level of intimacy with him left her wondering. She ran a hand absently over her stomach, pondering if there was really a child growing in there.

"Elena," Stefan asked suddenly as they drove to her house, "Did something happen to Caroline while you were gone, she seemed…different."

"Caroline just experienced something she never thought she would." Elena answered somewhat cryptically, not sure how much Caroline wanted known. Though she didn't really see how they would be able to hide it.

"Could you be more vague?" Damon asked, "She fell in love with Klaus didn't she?"

"Yes, and he with her. Trust me when I say that the Originals Caroline and I just lived with for months are not the same people you now know." Elena defended, she had seen a different Klaus, a man that would not use her for her blood to make an army, just a man who had finally found the thing he had always wanted, someone to make him feel not alone.

"We can believe that," Stefan responded, "The last two weeks Rebekah and Klaus have been acting differently…less bitter or something."

"And they insured that they were part of every part of the process to get you back, though it helped that they, Elijah and Kol were the only ones who knew how to get you back in the first place." Damon replied, pulling up in front of Elena's house.

"How did they know that by the way?" Stefan asked, watching Elena carefully as they walked up toward the house.

"Ayanna told them how." Elena answered simply, "It is a very, very long story. I promise to tell it to you eventually, but right now, I just want to take a shower, put on my own clothes, and crawl into bed." _And think about my next move_ , she thought to herself.

"Please don't keep us in the dark for too long." Stefan requested as the pulled up to the curb outside her house.

"I won't. Tomorrow I will answer any questions you have." Elena promised giving Stefan a genuine smile, and then doing the same for Damon, "Thank you both for the ride home."

"Anytime Elena, you know that." Damon replied as she opened the door. He waited until she was completely in the house before pulling away. Jeremy and Alaric would be home soon, if they weren't already, she was finally safe.

Elena leaned against the closed door as she took in the familiar surroundings of her home, "Jeremy, Ric, are you home?"

She didn't hear a response and just sighed as she walked up the stairs, intent on taking a shower and then crawling into her warm bed. Elena opened the door to her room and was shocked to see a brown paper bag waiting for her. She picked it up carefully, written on it in marker was 'For you little sister. Love Kol.' With a number, which she assumed was his cell number. Elena opened the bag and pulled out the pink box, shocked that Kol would buy her a pregnancy test. It was strangely sweet and disturbing at the same time.

Elena quickly put the box back in the bag and stuffed it under her bed, she didn't want to deal with that right now. First thing in the morning she would find out, she was just too exhausted right now to even think about it. She walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower, hoping that warm water would wash away all her fears.

* * *

Caroline could not bring herself to lift her eyes from the ground. She knew he was there, standing in front of her, and she was deeply afraid that he would take one look at her and she would know that their love had been a lie, or at least, a thing left in the past. She also couldn't bear to look at Tyler who she could feel staring at her from her right, one look into his eyes and he would know something had happened, he would know that she was no longer in love with him. But she also knew that she could no longer force herself to sit on the ground and avoid all those that were gathered around her. So, she picked herself off of the ground, and since it seemed Elena was in an equally confusing state of mind, "Thanks for getting us back Bon." She said loudly and locked eyes with the exhausted witch, a true smile gracing her face.

Bonnie smiled back and pushed the boys holding her away, standing just fine on her own, and gestured for the blonde to come forward. The two girls embraced and Bonnie said, "Well it was the least I could do since it was my fault you were back there in the first place."

Caroline let out a tiny laugh as she released the witch. Matt took this time to move forward and give her a hug, "It is great to have you back Care."

"Thanks Matt." She said as her arms wrapped around him. She noticed that Jeremy had moved to hug Elena and Alaric was standing protectively next to them, his hand rubbing Elena's shoulders. "How long were we gone for?" Caroline asked as she and Matt separated, her eyes still avoiding those of Klaus and Tyler.

"Almost two weeks." Damon responded, "You two gave us quite the scare Blondie."

Caroline was shocked, "It was only two weeks for you? This time travel thing is confusing."

"How long did you think you were gone?" Stefan asked her, though his eyes were still on Elena, who looked just has shocked as Caroline.

It was then that Caroline noticed Elena looked like herself again, not the reconfigured Elena that Ayanna had made her. But Elena still looked different, slightly older than she had been before, Caroline answered with a surprised voice, "We were gone eight months."

"We had no…" Damon started to say then turned to face the Originals, who had remained silent through this so far, "You all knew that didn't you?"

"Of course we did." Rebekah answered, and Caroline had to watch her face as she spoke, "Now that whatever spell had been put on us was broken, we remember everything. And that includes the eight months that we spent with Caroline and Elena. You never did ask how long they were with us."

Caroline watched as Damon's face grew angry for a second before Stefan put a hand of his shoulder and said, "That is true, we never asked you how long they were in the past with you. We just assumed that it would be the same amount of time for them as it was for us."

"A very wrong assumption." Klaus responded and it took all of Caroline's strength not to look at him. She could hear the frustration laced in his voice and that made it all the harder.

The Salvatores had nothing to say to that, as it wasn't a question or anything other than a fact. Rebekah took the moment for herself and walked up to Caroline. Caroline felt everyone around her tense except for the Originals and Elena, for all knew how Caroline and Rebekah had never gotten along. So, Rebekah's words caught everyone off guard, "I really wish that I could have remembered our time together when I first came to Mystic Falls. I treated you so horribly. Can you forgive me?"

Caroline felt her entire face relax into a smile and pulled Rebekah in for a hug, "Of course I do. I never could have been friends with you if I hadn't. And, you will now have forever to make it up to me."

Rebekah tightened the hug and whispered something so only Caroline would hear, "He remembers everything, don't think for a second that a thousand years has changed his feelings or his heart. He just needed to be reminded of who he really is." Caroline nodded against her shoulder and pulled away, the smile still firmly on her lips. Rebekah smiled at Caroline again and then moved to Elena, whose eyes were full of tears.

"Caroline?" Tyler questioned moving to stand next to her.

"Hey." Caroline responded, turning to give him a hug, but making no move to do anything more. She could feel how tense he was as she embraced him and released him quicker than she had anyone else.

Before she got a chance to say anything, he grabbed her hand and led her out of the group for some privacy. When they stopped his eyes searched hers as if trying to find a lie and he sighed, "I was hoping it wasn't true."

She knew instantly what he was talking about, and even knew how he was told to look for it, "I am so sorry Tyler. I never meant to hurt you. I really do love…"

"Don't say it." Tyler groaned and dropped her hands, turning away before rounding on her again, "How did this happen Caroline? With him of all people, he is…"

"I know what he is." She answered sternly, her back straight and her pose defensive, "I know much better than you do. Don't pretend to know everything Tyler. I love you, I always will, but I am not in love with you anymore. I know this is difficult to understand and rather sudden for you. I will understand if you don't want to talk to me for a long time but I hope in a few years or decades you will come around and be willing to be my friend again." She could see he had nothing to say and was doing everything to keep his anger in check, "Goodbye Tyler. I hope it isn't too long before I see you again." She turned away and walked back to the awaiting group, some of who had been watching the conversation from afar. She heard Tyler walking away in the other direction and let out a sigh, she had known that this is how it would end, had for months now. _But that doesn't make it hurt any less when you lose a friend_ , she thought.

Stefan interrupted her before she got back to the group, "Hey, I just wanted to see how you were."

"I am good Stefan thank you." Caroline told him honestly, she somehow felt lighter now that she had spoken to Tyler.

Stefan nodded, "I am glad you are back."

Caroline laughed slightly, Stefan was trying so hard to pretend he still didn't have his humanity most of the time, "I missed you too Stefan." She said and pulled him into a hug that he gladly returned.

He smiled back at her before turning around and the two of them walked in silence up to Elena, Caroline spoke first, "Ready to go home and take a long nice shower?"

"Oh, that sounds a lot like heaven. And sleeping in an actual soft and warm bed!" Elena exclaimed, "Not to mention being able to wear normal clothes again." She gestured at the 11th century dresses they were still wearing.

"All those things do indeed sound wonderful." Caroline agreed whole heartedly.

"Well let's get you two back to your homes then." Damon suggested, making a hand motion for them to start walking toward the cars Caroline could see in the distance, but she made no move towards them.

"You guys go. I will catch up with you later." Caroline insisted after Bonnie looked back when she noticed Caroline wasn't following.

"Are you sure?" Bonnie asked, noticing that Klaus was the only one still remaining in the clearing. The other Originals had left without anyone noticing.

"Of course. I will come see you tomorrow and tell you everything. I promise." Caroline assured her, giving her a goodbye hug. She still had yet to look at Klaus, knowing that she wouldn't be able to control herself once she did.

Bonnie just nodded and Caroline watched her climb into Matt's truck with Jeremy and Alaric, she couldn't help but wonder how much all of their lives had changed in two weeks. Elena had gotten to Damon's car along with Stefan, Caroline couldn't help but think that would be an awkward drive.

Then she heard the voice that could be the end to her, "Ready to look at me love?"

She took a deep breath and turned around, she knew that he would right behind her, and wasn't disappointed. His deep blue eyes bore into her own and she could see the same look that had greeted her for the last few months staring back, and she whispered, "I was so worried that if I looked at you I would break."

He cupped a hand to her cheek and rubbed it gently, "You will never have a need to question my feelings again love." He assured her and brought his lips down to meet hers.

Caroline didn't hesitate a second once contact was made, it was like kissing him had become a reflex, like breathing used to be. She wanted to deepen the kiss, to make it last forever, but he pulled away and whispered, "I can't believe I was able to forget this feeling."

"I have a theory." She whispered in return and captured his lips again. He didn't pull away but Caroline was surprised to feel the motion of them falling. She broke contact when they hit the ground, she was laying fully on top of him.

"And what would that be?" He asked, a hand fanning out over her back and the other still cupping her cheek.

"That you never really did, that in your heart you knew I was out there somewhere." She said, slowly undoing the buttons on his shirt, "That is why no other woman was ever enough for you and why you took a fancy to me in the first place."

Klaus looked into her eyes, and took a pause before he answered, "I could believe that. Thinking back on the last thousand years, I was comparing every woman I met to some standard I had in my head. It took me getting my memories of you back, and your glorious insight, to realize that it was you I was comparing those women to, even if I didn't know it." He used his hand to bring her mouth down to his.

As she laid over him, his hand moved from her face to her legs and they slowly moved themselves up until they were resting at the top of her thighs, "I think we need to get you out of that dress love."

"I am inclined to agree." She said and arched her back to start undoing her laces. He seemed to not be patient enough for that though and just ripped the material from her body, "Nik!" She exclaimed, a look of shock on her face as she looked down at her near naked body, the last layer of her skirts still clung to her legs and waist.

He just had on a sheepish grin and tore the last of the fabric away, "It wasn't like you wanted to keep the dress darling."

She just glared at him, his shirt was already off, otherwise she would have done something similar to his own clothing. He destroyed her glare though by bringing her back down to him and their chests pressed up against each other. She forced herself to pull away from his lips and started kissing down his body, her hands stopping at his pants and removed them completely from him. The motion left them both naked in the moonlight and the darkness that surrounded them, all words and thoughts were soon forgotten as they lost themselves in each other.


	23. The Start of Something New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elena has some choices to make

Caroline woke up to the softness of a bed and silk sheets, she knew immediately where she was, the events of last night pleasantly filling her mind. She smiled and sighed contently, stretching her arms over her head, which caused the sheet to fall to her waist.

"If you keep doing things like that, I will never let you leave." She heard the voice of her dreams say from the doorway.

"I would allow that, but I do have to go see my mom at some point today, and the sooner I leave, the sooner I can come back." She replied, not even trying to hide her body, he had seen it in this fashion more than once. She was also enjoying the view of his body wrapped in nothing but a pair of sweats, giving her the perfect view of his upper body.

"That is what I thought you would say." He answered sadly, and handed her a glass of blood, "I also thought you might be hungry."

"You are amazing." She whispered and brought the blood to her lips, ignoring the smell of plastic that clung to it. She would need to get used to blood bags again but even with the smell it was better than animals.

"So you keep saying." He said suggestively and started kissing her neck as she finished off the glass.

"If you start that we will not leave this bed all day." She warned but moaned as the kisses started to spread.

"I have no problem with that." He replied and pushed her back onto the bed, covering her body with his own.

"Nik, I have to leave this bed today…" She protested and pushed him onto his back, but didn't stop herself from crawling on top of him, straddling his hips and so she said, "You can have me for two more hours sir, then I am free for the rest of the day from your tempting embrace."

"I think that is a deal I can live with love." He growled as she started to move her hips, making it much harder for him to think straight, "As long as I get you back tonight."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." She whispered before taking his lips in her own again.

* * *

Two hours ended up being closer to four but she wasn't really complaining, it was still well before noon when she walked into her house. Being has her own clothes had been destroyed the night before she had borrowed a dress from Rebekah, a cute little green one. "Caroline?" She heard her mother's voice ask from the kitchen.

Caroline used her vampire speed to shorten the time and found herself in the kitchen doorway, trying to keep the tears from her eyes, "Hi Mom."

"Oh Caroline." Liz said, tears freely flowing, as she rushed at her daughter and pulled her into a hug, "I was so worried they weren't going to get you back."

"Don't worry Mom, I am back and perfectly safe." She assured her mother, her own tears now streaming down her cheeks, "I missed you so much."

"And I missed you." Liz whispered pulling her tighter for a minute before releasing her, "And Elena is alright as well?" She asked.

"Elena is perfectly fine, though she might seem a little older, the time difference was close to 8 months for us." Caroline informed, smiling sweetly at her mom.

"Wow, I was not expecting that, but I am just so happy you are safe." Liz replied, pulling Caroline into another hug, "Have you seen Tyler yet, he was very worried about you."

Caroline tensed, and pulled out of her mother's arms, she should have known her mother would wonder about such things so quickly. The woman was a cop after all, she hadn't gotten to be sheriff by luck or her name alone, "He and I have talked." She answered, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice, but knowing she failed.

"Why the tone Caroline? I would have thought after 8 months apart that you would have been ecstatic to see him. I thought you were with him, which is why you didn't come home last night." Liz questioned, studying her daughters face closely.

"A lot has happened for me lately Mom, and one of those things is, I no longer love Tyler." She responded, trying to keep her voice steady, "I…I am in love with someone else."

That left Liz speechless for a moment before a look crossed her features like someone finally figuring out the last piece of a riddle, "You fell in love with Klaus."

"How could you know that?" Caroline demanded, it was now her turn to study her mother.

"He came to see me. Said it was to make sure that I knew he and everyone else was doing everything they could to get you back, and to let him know if I needed anything. I found it very strange that he would consider me in that way, but now it makes sense. He is in love with you." Liz explained, her features a mix of emotions that Caroline couldn't even begin to name.

"Mom, are you…." Caroline began to ask, but was interrupted by her phone ringing, she had completely forgotten that Klaus had given it back to her, "Elena, what's up?"

"Hey Care, can you come over? I really need to talk to you." Elena said and Caroline could hear so much raw emotion in her voice.

"Sure, I just need to take a quick shower and then I will be right over. See you soon."

Caroline turned to her mom, but before she could say anything Liz said, "Go, Elena obviously needs you. We will talk more about this later."

"Thanks Mom." Caroline replied, pulling her into another hug before running upstairs to jump in the shower and put on some of her own clothes.

* * *

Elena had slept like the dead after she had taken a shower and crawled into her bed, which she had a new found appreciation for. But morning had brought her nothing but confusing thoughts and avoidance tendencies. Stefan and Damon had been texting since about nine o'clock and her only reply to either had been, 'I just need some time alone for now.' The texting had stopped after that but she still felt so confused at her conflicting feelings.

She loved Stefan, had from the moment she meet him, or so it seemed to her at least. He was good for her, his love was pure and she never had any reason to doubt it. Even when he had been under Klaus' compulsion, she had known that one day, if she waited long enough, that he would return to her.

She also loved Damon though. Her love for him had grown during that time Stefan was gone but it hadn't started there, she knew that. She, Elena Gilbert, had always been drawn to the more dangerous Salvatore, she could admit that freely now. Damon challenged her in a way that Stefan never could and a part of her craved for it, for the consuming love that Damon offered her.

But, now she saw herself with a third option, someone she never would have thought seriously about before her trip back in time. She could never say that she had not thought Elijah an handsome man, because that would be a lie out of any woman's mouth. But, it was not Elijah's looks that had captivated Elena, it was his heart. Elijah, even as a vampire, was noble and honorable, always looking for the right thing to do and letting his heart led him away from that if the occasion called for it. It was for the human Elijah that Elena had found herself falling for and it hadn't gone away for that month they spent together when he first became a vampire. And even before the trip, she had always held a soft spot for the eldest Original. She was worried that he would want to keep up the relationship they had in the past but she was more worried that he wouldn't.

So, here she was torn between three men, no three vampires, that loved her and that she loved. She knew she loved Elijah and it was different than the love she felt for Stefan or Damon, which was in turn different from each other.

Elena's eyes drifted to her clock, her time was up, all she needed to do was walk into the bathroom and she would know just how much her life would change. Elena took a deep breath and walked into the bathroom. She picked up the stick and looked at the little screens and she dropped it, her hand going to her mouth. It was a truth now, not just a wayward thought or a gut feeling. It was proven now, she was pregnant with Elijah's child.

She didn't know what to do, she needed to talk about it with someone, so she called the one of the only people she knew wouldn't judge her. She picked up her cell phone, "Elena, what's up?" The voice on the other end answered.

"Hey Care, can you come over? I really need to talk to you." Elena didn't want to describe her situation over the phone.

"Sure, I just need to take a quick shower and then I will be right over. See you soon." Caroline replied and hung up the phone.

Elena was surprised at how quickly Caroline ended their conversation but really didn't think that much of it. Caroline was still Caroline after all. It was strange to Elena how much Caroline had managed to remain the same person after spending months lying to everyone around her.

Elena used the wait to text Kol with the number she had been given. She had told him thank you and that the test was positive. She was surprised when she didn't get a response, but it was still early and Kol could be asleep she reasoned.

The time ticked by slowly for Elena, but she was happy when she heard the front door open and Caroline's voice calling up the stairs, "Elena, I'm here."

"Up here Care." She responded, and was greeted by the sight of her blonde friend a few seconds later.

"So, having trouble deciding between Stefan, Damon, and Elijah?" Caroline asked, sitting down on the bed with Elena.

Elena eyed her slowly, "How did you know about Elijah?"

"Please Elena. Give me some credit. I wasn't all caught up in myself and Nik not to notice how close you and Elijah got. There had to be something a little more than just plain friendship going on there." Caroline explained, "How far did you go anyway? I promise I won't judge you, that would feel horribly hypocritical of me."

"All the way." Elena whispered, thinking back to all those times and feeling the blood rush to her cheeks.

"When? And how could you not tell me?" Caroline asked, her voice conveying her shock. More for Elena hiding the affair from her than the fact that she actually had the affair in the first place.

"The night after Henrik's death was the first time. He and Mikael got into a fight and he stormed off. I followed him and when he didn't want to go home, I took him to ours. Emotions were high and that led to...more." Elena explained, she could still feel the blood flooding her cheeks, "We kept up the affair until he became a vampire."

"Do you regret it?" Caroline questioned, wondering if that was the reason Elena never told her about it.

"No!" Elena expressed loudly before calmly adding, "No, I don't regret it at all, which is what worries me. I feel like I should feel lots of guilt. I mean, in a way I cheated on Stefan."

"No you didn't. You and he broke up when he left last summer with Klaus and you two never really got back together. You are, were, a free agent Elena." Caroline informed her friend.

"Can you honestly say though that you felt no guilt about what you were doing to Tyler when you started your relationship with Klaus? Technically you had broken up with him before he left to go break the bond." Elena countered, watching her friend closely.

"Of course I did." Caroline admitted, "But I realized that what I have with Klaus is something grander and more intense than anything I felt with Tyler, and that made the guilt disappear after a while. How about you tell me what you are thinking about each of your options. Don't leave anything out."

"There is actually one more thing I need to tell you." Elena whispered and watched as Caroline nodded, looking at her closely, "I….I….I'm pregnant."

"What!" Caroline screamed as she jumped up from the bed, pacing for a minute before looking at her friend, "With Elijah's child I assume?"

"Who else would it be?" Elena replied sarcastically, and then closed her eyes before glancing at Caroline, "We slept with each other many times, not using any protection, it makes sense. I just wasn't thinking clearly."

"How could you keep your relationship with him a secret from me?" Caroline asked, sitting back down on the bed, trying to process that Elena was pregnant. Things were so much more complicated than she had originally thought.

"I just wanted to have something that was mine. I wanted to tell you but every time I was about to, something interrupted us. So, I just took it as a sign to keep it all to ourselves." Elena explained, knowing her excuses were stupid.

"Did anyone know?" Caroline wondered aloud.

"Kol caught us once, so he knows, actually, he knows everything." Elena admitted, looking to Caroline through shielded eyes.

"You told Kol you were pregnant before me?" Caroline asked, her voice giving off that she was slightly insulted.

"He found me after I experienced some morning sickness, I was just so confused that I broke down and told him." Elena explained, "Honestly, if you had shown up instead, I would have told you."

Caroline calmed her ego, and reminded herself that this was about Elena, not her, "Have you told Elijah?"

Elena looked away from her friend, "No, I wasn't even sure that I was pregnant until this morning. Also, I don't want him to think that I only want to be with him because I am carrying his child."

"And do you, want to be with him that is? Are you going to let Stefan and Damon go?" Caroline questioned, taking Elena's hand in her own.

"Yes, to both your questions." Elena answered, letting her heart answer for her instead of her head for once.

"Good. Now all you have to do is tell that to Stefan, Damon and Elijah. I would probably do it separately and leave out the baby for now." Caroline suggested, nudging her friend gently with her shoulder, "We wouldn't want either Salvatore to overreact."

"Who should I talk to first?" Elena questioned, wishing that practically breaking up with two men wasn't so hard a task.

"Go with Stefan, then Damon. Save Elijah for last, he is going to be much too excited to let you go once he has you." Caroline said with a smile.

"When did you become an expert at this?" Elena asked, nudging her friend with her shoulder.

"I think it was about the time I feel madly in love with the most complicated man in the world." She answered, playing with a diamond bracelet on her wrist.

* * *

Elena was nervous as she waited for Stefan to show up about two hours after Caroline had left. Elena wasn't really sure what she was going to say. She wasn't sure if she should just let Stefan start it out or if she should jump to her point of meeting with him. But then again, how do you tell someone you are supposed to love that you are not in love with them anymore.

The knock on the door stirred her from her thoughts and taking a deep breath she got up and answered it, placing a genuine smile of happiness on her face, "Thanks for coming Stefan." She greeted, pulling him into a hug as he entered.

"Of course." He replied and kissed her cheek.

Elena didn't say anything but smiled and led him into the living room and sat on the couch, not surprised when he sat next to her, though he made sure they weren't touching. When it seemed clear that Elena did not know how to start, Stefan asked, "Are you ready to tell me what happened while you were gone?"

"Yes, but I won't go into too much detail because it doesn't really matter. But it was eight months for me, so how about you ask me what you want to know and I will answer you?" Elena suggested, finding it hard to find a place to start.

"Okay, how did you and Caroline figure out how to interact with the Originals without changing the future? They have been very vague." Stefan asked, his voice carrying a tone of annoyance, she assumed with the Originals.

"That was mostly Ayanna, the witch that Bonnie is a descendant of. Caroline and I were super worried that if we interacted with any of the Originals too much that we would change the future. Ayanna told us not to worry, that she would fix it so they wouldn't remember us until Bonnie cast her spell in this time. That way we were able to be full citizens of the village as wards of Ayanna." Elena explained.

"Wards?" He asked, probably not thinking too much on everything yet.

"We were two young women of marriageable age without any parents or brothers. There had to be cover story that would make our sudden appearance have merit. So, Caroline and I were sisters sent to Ayanna from a childhood friend in the old country, for protection and stability." Elena informed him, "It was quite helpful as we needed Ayanna to get us back here to the future and to trick the Originals. We were then given the excuse to spend as much time with her as was needed."

"Alright, I understand." Stefan nodded, then got a confused look, "If you traveled the village freely, wouldn't people confuse you with the Original doppelganger?"

"Another trick of Ayanna's, she morphed my face with magic to resemble Caroline, but left my coloring the same. It also helped with the sister story." Elena answered, smiling at the thought of looking at her reflection and seeing someone staring at her with her eyes.

"What was she like? Was she more like you or Katherine?" Stefan asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"I would like to say Katherine but in truth I tried to avoid her as much as possible. Most of the things I know about her I learned from Elijah and Rebekah." Elena admitted, hating all her memories that featured Tatia, "She rubbed me the wrong way right off the bat and she never treated me well, I think she was worried I would steal Elijah from her and Caroline would steal Klaus."

"Which she did?" Stefan half asked, half commented.

"Yes, which she did, and rather quickly I might add. No one truly in love with another person could so easily fall so deeply in love with someone after a few short months." Elena commented, "And when Klaus dumped her, she got rid of Elijah as well, it broke his heart. That is what makes me think she was more like Katherine, only really enjoying the game of teasing two brothers. She tried to get the game back on many times."

"Why didn't it work?" Stefan asked, truly wondering at how involved Elena was with the story.

"I already told you. Caroline." She answered sweetly, leaving out her role in the whole situation as well, "I know you don't understand it Stefan, and it will take you and everyone else a long time to accept it but Klaus does love Caroline. He loves her more than anything else in the world and now that he remembers that, he will be a very different man. And Rebekah will be a very different woman."

"What makes you so sure on either account?" Stefan questioned, his voice laced with skepticism.

"Stefan, I spent eight months with the real them. Not the people shaped over a thousand years of anger, loneliness, and fear. They are loving and compassionate when they care about you. We became very close to Rebekah and we promised her something once, and neither of us are going to back out on that promise." Elena said, trying to get him to understand, but knowing one conversation wasn't going to prove anything.

Elena took a long, deep breath and said, "I am ready to talk about the reason I really asked you over today Stefan."

"I am listening." He answered, turning to face her completely, a small smile on his face.

"I love you Stefan, I truly do, but my time in the past thought me that I can't keep being this person. That I can't keep being someone who doesn't make decisions and leads people on, or messes with their emotions. I saw what that did to Elijah and Klaus, and I can't do that to you and Damon." Elena tried to explain, though she didn't think she was doing it well.

"What are you saying Elena?" Stefan prompted, all trace of a smile gone from his face.

"Stefan, I can no longer be with you. And I am not going to be with Damon either." Elena assured him and could see that he was trying to hide his emotions, but was failing, "I never meant to hurt you Stefan." She said as he slowly got up from the sofa.

"The past changed you." Stefan commented, and leaned down, giving her a kiss on the forehead, "I understand if you no longer want to be with me, but please, tell me what is really going on."

"Stefan, I...I will tell you. But I can't tell you that right now." Elena said, looking up at him, "I am so sorry."

"It's alright Elena." Stefan replied and slowly walked away.

Elena sighed when she heard the door shut behind her. A tear fell from her eye. She picked up her phone and texted her next victim.

* * *

Elena was less nervous as she waited for Damon. Her conversation with Stefan had been hard, but she hoped that the second time around would be easier.

A rabid knocking on the door was her cue, "Hey Damon." She said as she opened the door to allow him in.

"Hey, how is your time lag going?" He asked, careful not to touch her but still invading her personal space.

"Not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. That might have to do with vampire blood in my system though." She commented, not even realizing her words.

"Vampire blood? Why do you have that in your system?" Damon asked quickly, his eyes fluttering between confusion and concern.

"Yesterday, or what seems like yesterday anyway, I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking and slipped off a three foot ledge. I broke an arm and a leg. I was bleeding so badly that Elijah fed me some blood of his blood to save my life." She explained.

"Those stupid Originals and Blondie could have protected you better." Damon snarked but didn't comment further.

"I slipped Damon, it happens to everyone eventually when you walk in a heavily wooded area. Even you can't be with me every second of every day." She said and walked past him into the living room.

"I could try." He said seductively, turning to follow her into the living room, and then added, "Why did you ask me over Elena? I am sure it wasn't just for ideal chit-chat."

"No, it wasn't." She admitted and looked down at her fiddling hands, she felt that feeling she always got in Damon's presence. That feeling of being consumed by her feelings, almost like her mind left her and was replaced with pure emotion, but it was so much easier now to push it away and keep her focus, "Damon, whatever is happening between us needs to stop."

"Why so you can truly be with Stefan?" Damon asked, his voice full of mocking disbelief.

"No, I broke up with Stefan, completely, earlier. I just figured out while I was away what it is I really want." Elena explained, having a different kind of courage when it came to Damon.

"And that isn't either Salvatore brother?" Damon asked, his voice a mix of anger and hurt.

"Yes, please know that I will always care about you Damon, and I never meant to hurt you." Elena said and grabbed his hand.

Damon looked down at their joined hands before staring into her eyes, "You are love with Elijah, aren't you Elena?"

Elena felt her entire body still, she didn't want to share that with anyone yet, at least not Damon, "Why would say that?"

"You are!" Damon exclaimed and turned away from her, "Can't believe those Originals, corrupting you and Caroline like this."

"We aren't corrupted Damon." Elena defended and forced him to turn to face her, "Things were different there and we changed…"

"And what makes you think he will want you now?" Damon asked, his voice narrowing and cruel.

"I know he will." Elena replied, her voice serious.

"I can't believe…" Damon started to say when the front door opened and Alaric walked in.

"Everything alright in here?" Ric asked, looking between his friend and his pseudo-daughter.

"Yeah, Damon was just leaving." Elena replied, her voice pointed.

Damon let out a huff of frustration but walked to the door, he couldn't leave without saying, "Try talking sense into her Ric, I don't think she is quite back to reality yet." The door slammed behind him.

Alaric turned to look at Elena with eyebrows raised, "What was that about?"

"I told him that I am in love with someone else." Elena said, decided to go for the real reason Damon was so upset.

"Are you now?" Alaric asked, and added, "I am going to guess from his reaction that it isn't Stefan?"

"No, it isn't Stefan." She admitted, avoiding his eyes.

"Let's go in the kitchen. You can tell me all about it as I make us lunch." Ric suggested, and Elena smiled as she followed him into the other room.

* * *

Elena finished the last of her sandwich, moaning with happiness to have real, normal food again. She watched as Alaric took his phone out of his pocket and put it to his ear, it must have been a vibrate she decided. Elena took the moment to make a phone call of her own.

"Hey, you talk with them yet?" Caroline answered, her voice happy and Elena thought she could hear voices in the background.

"Just Stefan and Damon, I can't bring myself to call Elijah." Elena confessed, looking down in shame at her nerves.

"Oh, well how did it go with the Salvatores?" She asked, and Elena heard a door close through the phone.

"Okay I guess. Both were very confused and Damon figured out that I had fallen in love with Elijah." She told her sighing.

"Yeah, well neither of them is a complete idiot." Caroline commented, "Did talking to them make you more sure of your decision?"

"Being with them just felt so comfortable but…I didn't feel the passion with either as I remember there being before. With Damon I still had the fluttering in my stomach but I was able to stay calm and think much easier than I could before. And with Stefan, I don't know what was missing, but something was. It kind of reminded me of when Klaus forced him to turn off his feelings." Elena explained.

"I don't know what to tell you Elena. Other than it seems like you have lost interest in the Salvatores on some level." Caroline said, "You should really talk to Elijah, I know he is just waiting for you to call him."

"How could you know that?" Elena questioned, before realizing it was a stupid question.

"Because I have talked to him." Caroline said with a laugh, "Also, free up your lunch tomorrow, we have a date with Bekah."

Elena giggled before saying, "I will be sure to be free. You are coming over for dinner right?"

"Wouldn't miss it, I did promise Bonnie after all. She needs to know everything." Caroline confirmed.

"I don't disagree." Elena said quietly, "What should I do about Elijah?"

"Either call him or drive over here. You need to talk to him Elena, your mind won't rest until you do." Caroline insisted and Elena felt compelled to agree.

"Okay, I will be over there within the hour. Please make sure he knows I am coming." Elena said, her voice quiet to her ears.

"I will, and I will also make sure that the two of you get some privacy." Caroline told her, "See you soon."

"Yeah, see you soon." Elena replied and hung up the phone.

She sighed as she looked up at Ric, who was still talking on his own phone. His entire body was tense though, and she could hear a rough tone to his voice, though she couldn't hear the exact words. Elena put a hand to her head, she was feeling a bit dizzy and her vision was going out of focus, "Ric, I don't feel so good." She said loudly, causing him to turn to look at her. Elena panicked at the expression on his face, it was not something she had ever seen before.

"Don't worry Elena. You'll be fine, there is just someone who wants to talk to you." He said cryptically to her before putting the phone back to her ear, "We'll be there soon."

Elena felt her heartrate accelerate as she slowly laid her head on the table, fear flooding every bone in her body as her eyes closed and the world slipped away.


	24. Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elena meets with someone she didn't expect while everyone else is desperate to find her

Elena slowly fluttered open her eyes and they adjusted to the low light in the unfamiliar room. She turned her head slowly, taking in her surroundings. The room was simply decorated with nothing more than the twin bed on which she was laying on, a table with some things spread across it on one wall, small mini fridge underneath it, and a large chest on the other wall. Her eyes locked on the door and she forced herself to sit up in the bed. She felt a moment of dizziness but it was easy to shake off. Placing her feet on the ground, she carefully stood up, another wave of dizziness hit her but it was nothing that would overpower her. It only took her five steps to get to the door but, of course, it was locked. Her next try was the window above the chest, but it was locked as well.

Elena, resigned to being kidnapped, sat back on the bed with a large sigh. She placed a hand over her stomach, hoping that whatever drug she had been given had done nothing to her baby.

The turn of a key in the lock had Elena on her feet in seconds, but she was not prepared for the person who opened the door, "Dear Elena, please sit back down we have a lot to discuss." Esther said kindly, but there was malice in her eyes.

Elena did as she was told but her body remained tensed as Esther closed the door behind her, "You were not expecting me, were you?"

"No, but really, I shouldn't be surprised." Elena replied, her eyes refusing to look away from the Original witch, "Did you know the entire time what was going to happen?"

"No." Esther said quickly, "The first inkling I had was at the ball when I saw Niklaus dancing with Caroline, the exact duplicate of the woman the human Niklaus was enamored with. At first I thought maybe I was just misremembering, but the more I watched her, the more I knew it was the same girl. I remembered that she had a sister named Elena, though she looked nothing like you, once we finally met I knew you were the same as well." Esther explained, and looked briefly out the window before turning back to Elena, "It was then that I knew I could get my powers back."

"And you have?" Elena asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Yes, and now it is time for the next stage in my plan." Esther answered, "And that, unfortunately, involves you Elena. You see, I need to create a hunter to kill my children and I have working a long time to prepare Alaric for that role."

Elena's eyes widened in shock as Esther's words sunk in, "He is the one who has been killing the council members. But he stabbed himself?"

"There are two Alarics you could say, the one you know, and the one I have created using the part of his mind that travels to the other side when he dies." Esther informed her, "That Alaric now has enough control that if I make him a vampire, he will be the ultimate hunter, like my husband was."

"Alaric could never be like Mikael." Elena retorted, her anger seeping through, "I am glad that Klaus jammed that stake into his heart."

Esther's eyes grew wide as she took a few steps toward Elena, "You are lucky that for my plan to work I need you alive." Her voice was thick with venom.

"What did you have Alaric give me?" She asked, trying to keep her voice on its angry calm.

"Just some sleeping herbs, nothing harmful. Like I said, I need you alive Elena. And to ensure you remain that way until my children are dead, I hope you like the room." Esther commented before turning quickly on her heel and leaving, slamming the door behind her.

Elena fell back onto the bed, tears streaming fully down her face. She was worried, it was only a matter of time before Esther figured out she was pregnant. And that filled Elena with a fear that she never felt previously, but she also knew she couldn't let that fear control her. She needed to escape, and she needed to do it sooner rather than later.

* * *

Kol walked up to the door with purpose, he knew that his little witch would be happy to see him. He also hoped she had his phone because he hadn't been able to find it since yesterday.

He smirked as she opened the door, his phone resting on her upturned palm, "Looking for something?" She asked, a content smile on her face.

"Yes, I have been actually." He replied and took the phone.

"It has been going off randomly since about noon." Bonnie informed him, still not budging from the doorway.

Kol perked his eyes and checked. He had a text message from Elena, and an instant smile flew to his face. But then it fell at the missed calls from Nik, Bekah, and Elijah, "Strange. I just saw them an hour ago, what possibly could have happened in that time?" He asked aloud and pushed Nik's number before placing the phone at his ear.

Almost in perfect unison with his first ring, Bonnie's phone started to ring as well, "Hey Caroline." He heard her say before his own conversation started, "Have you seen Elena today?" Klaus asked right away.

"No, but she texted me earlier. What's wrong?" Kol questioned, his face going to Bonnie's, who looked equally as concerned with her conversation.

"She was supposed to come over, but no one has been able to get a hold of her since Caroline talked to her a few hours ago." Klaus explained, "Where are you?"

"At Bonnie's." He responded honestly, not caring at that moment that she wanted to keep it a secret.

"You two go check Elena's house, then get over here." Klaus told him before hanging up.

"Yeah, I am on my way." Bonnie said before ending her own call, "Was your call about Elena too?"

"Yes, come on. Let's go check the house." Kol said, grabbing her hand and heading toward his car.

* * *

Caroline was worried, Elena was now hours late and not answering any of her calls, or anyone else's calls either. She glanced around the large sitting room, everyone was now here with the expectations of Bonnie, Kol, and Alaric. No one could get ahold of him either and that just added to the nerves of all those in the room.

Caroline watched as everyone sat uncomfortably around the room. Stefan and Damon's eyes were glaring at Elijah, who was doing his best to look anywhere but at them. Caroline felt for all three. The Salvatores had broken hearts and were justifiably angry. Elijah was just confused and worried, he was doing his best to mask his emotions, but Caroline knew him better now, and could see through the façade.

All the heads in the room turned as the door opened, giving Kol and Bonnie the full attention of everyone in the room. "There was no sign of a struggle, but her car was still there and no one cleaned up lunch." Kol said, not waiting for a prompt, he held up a cup, "This was drugged."

"How can you be sure?" Jeremy asked from his place on a couch.

"I can smell the herb, I remember our mother giving us the same thing when we couldn't sleep as children. So, at least we know it didn't harm her." Kol replied, glancing around the room.

"There was no sign of Alaric either." Bonnie commented as she went to sit next to Jeremy, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"This all of your fault." Damon said, looking between all the Originals before adding, "It is your psychotic mother that has taken them, and who knows what she is going to do to them in her crazy plot to kill all of us."

"Damon, you can't…" Caroline started to defend when Klaus interrupted her.

"No love, Damon is somewhat right. We don't know what Esther plans to do with Elena and Alaric, but it isn't our fault. We weren't the ones that let her out of her coffin." Klaus said eyes shifting from Damon to Bonnie and back again.

And just like that, the blame game started to flow around the room. Caroline rolled her eyes and tried to get everyone back on track to what was really important but after a few minutes she could see that they needed to get this out of their system if they were ever going to get anything done. She slowly moved so she was standing next to Kol, who was only somewhat participating in the argument, and she slipped her hand in his, tugging him to follow her out of the room. He came without a fuss but he looked confused at the same time.

Caroline waited until they were hundred feet from the house before saying, "Elena told me everything."

"Thank God. It was so hard being the only one." Kol replied, relief flooding his features.

"We need to decide if we are going to tell him." Caroline said, not beating around the reason she wanted to get him alone.

"That is for Elena to do." Kol said, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

"She might not get the chance anytime soon. Your mother has her powers back, she can hide from us forever if she wants. If we don't find Elena within a month, there will be no way to hide it from everyone, and we don't want them shocked when the time comes and we do find her." Caroline explained, and watched Kol's face as he thought about it.

"You don't know that, we could find her today or tomorrow." Kol weakly suggested, though he knew they wouldn't. Klaus had been having his hybrids search for Esther ever since she disappeared the night of the ritual, and they have had zero luck.

"Don't try to be smart Kol, you don't think I know you all well enough to know that you have been looking for Esther since she left town." Caroline replied, her voice saying that she was not in the mood for games, "And how much luck have you had?" Kol looked down, his expression giving Caroline the only answer she needed, "We need to tell him."

"How about we wait a few days?" Kol suggested, wishing that this wasn't a decision that he needed to help make.

"If we tell him, if we tell everyone, then we can give them a better sense of urgency." Caroline insisted, knowing that she couldn't make this decision unilaterally.

"Everyone? We can't tell everyone. If we do tell, it is only Elijah. Not Nik, or Bekah or the Salvatores. Only Elijah." Kol responded, "If he wants to tell, then that is his choice, but it isn't right for us to decide."

Caroline nodded but before she could say anything, they both heard footsteps and then a voice, "And what is it that I am deciding whether or not to tell?" Elijah asked, coming to stand beside the other vampires.

Kol looked at Caroline, she had never seen the young Original look so panicked before. She felt that her own face had a shocked quality to it but she took a deep breath and opened her mouth. No words came out. So she started the process over again, "Elena told me about the two of you." She said, pausing, trying to think of how best to break this news to him.

"And you think that is something that needs to be shared with the group?" He asked, his voice full of suspicion.

"No." Caroline replied quickly, she stole a glance at Kol, who still looked like he had just been sucker punched, and then back to Elijah before saying, "Elena is pregnant Elijah."

Caroline wasn't so sure she had ever seen color drain from a vampire's face so quickly before except when they were staked.

After minutes of Elijah standing there in stunned silence, Kol couldn't take the tension anymore, "Congratulations Brother." He said, placing a hand on his eldest brother's shoulder.

Elijah just turned on him, his face suddenly angry, "You have known this whole time, haven't you?" He asked, twisting the hand on his shoulder, breaking the bones in his brother's hand.

"Yes." Kol squeaked out in pain before Elijah released him, "I promised her not to tell you. She wasn't even completely sure until this morning."

"That was what she on her way to tell you Elijah." Caroline told him, grabbing his hand to comfort him, "She wanted to wait to tell you though until after she had also told you that she was picking you. Elena broke things off completely with Stefan and Damon this morning, which is the reason for the dirty looks. She wanted to make sure that you knew she wasn't only picking you because of the baby."

Elijah slowly raised his eyes to meet Caroline's, "You are sure? About both things?"

"Yes." Caroline told him, keeping complete eye contact with him, "I wouldn't lie to you about something like this Elijah."

"I am going to be a father." He whispered, his eyes shifting to his brother.

"Yes, you are." Kol replied, smiling as Elijah pulled him into a hug, "And you're going to be a great one." He pushed Elijah back, and placed a hand on each shoulder, "Now, let's go back inside and figure out a plan to go get your baby mama."

"Really Kol?" Caroline said, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

"We all need to lighten up a bit." Kol replied with a shrug and a smirk, but it feel as he said, "Are we just keeping it to us for now?"

"Yes, we will see how this meeting goes. Once everyone leaves, then we will tell Klaus and Rebekah." Elijah stated as the three walked back to the house, all of them trying to get their emotions under control.

* * *

Klaus' eyes automatically registered the moment that Caroline came back into the room, he had noticed when she had left with Kol, but he had been too busy arguing with Damon to follow. He watched as his love went up to the witch, weaving in between the fighting vampires. And, within seconds, all those very vampires, and himself, gripped their head in pain.

"Now that you have all had your little tantrum, can we get down to business?" Caroline asked, scanning her eyes over all of those in the room, "We need to come up with a plan to save Elena, and Alaric. When we get them back, then we can play the blame game."

"Who put you in charge?" Damon said sarcastically.

"Shut up Damon." Caroline replied to his question, "Nik, I know you have been looking for Esther, do you have any idea of where she could be?"

"My hybrids had no luck when she didn't have her magic at full strength. It is going to be even harder now." Klaus answered, his eyes shifting to Bonnie, "Do you think you can track her?"

"Probably not, but I can maybe try to find Elena or Alaric. She might not be blocking them as much as she is herself." Bonnie suggested, "I will just need something with their DNA on it."

"I'll go back to the house and get some things." Jeremy said, slowly getting to his feet.

"I'll come with you Jer." Matt replied, giving a small smile to Rebekah, whom he was standing next to, before following the young Gilbert out of the mansion.

Caroline didn't miss the smile, and put it in her mind as a question to ask later, but it really wasn't important right now.

"Are you going to need anything else sweetheart?" Kol asked, taking Jeremy's empty spot next to Bonnie.

"I think I'll be good, I already know a spell to use." Bonnie told him, and then looked away before asking, "What do you think Esther is going to do with Elena?"

"I don't think she wants to hurt her, if that was all she wanted then there would have been no need to kidnap her." Rebekah replied, looking at her brothers to see if they were of agreement.

"Why would she also take Alaric? With her powers back she easily could have just knocked him out." Stefan questioned, his eyes looking between all the players, "What could she possibly need them both for?"

"That, Stefan, is an excellent question." Elijah replied, he locked eyes with Klaus' and they shared a look that could mean nothing good.


	25. Losing Hope

Klaus sighed as Stefan and Damon finally left the mansion, all day with these people had brought him to the edge of his temper and if Caroline hadn't been there to keep him in check, the town's vampire population would have been down one dark haired Salvatore. His annoyance didn't stop him from noticing that there was something off with his brothers and his girl. They kept giving each other sideways glances and little smiles. He knew enough though to wait until there was only family left in the house to ask.

Klaus listened in as Caroline escorted Bonnie out, "I know we still have a lot to about Care, and I promise we will soon."

"We do have a lot to talk about." Caroline agreed, and lowered a voice a bit, "Like what is going on with you and Kol?"

Klaus couldn't see them, but was sure Bonnie blushed, "I don't know what you are talking about." Bonnie replied quietly, "I'll see you in the morning to try the spell again."

"Yep, see you then." Caroline responded, and Klaus heard the door shut a few seconds later.

"And what makes you think that she is doing something with Kol?" Klaus asked as she walked into the room, moving to sit in his lap.

"I can be perceptive when I want to be." She teased and leaned forward, giving him a long kiss before they were interrupted.

"You two have a room for that." Rebekah commented, sinking into the couch.

Kol and Elijah followed close behind her, Kol flopped down next to his sister, but Elijah remained standing and leaned against the back of an empty chair.

Klaus shifted his eyes between his siblings before letting them rest on Elijah, "Wish to tell me what is going on now brother?" He felt Caroline tense in his arms, and noticed that Kol looked less relaxed as well.

Elijah took a deep breath before looking carefully at Klaus, "It seems that there is more to this situation than everyone else is aware of." He said vaguely, and shifted his eyes to Rebekah before looking at an object of the other side of the room, "I don't know if you were aware or not, but Elena and I were having an affair for nearly a month while we were still human."

Klaus put on a smirk, he had thought something was going on between them, but truthfully he hadn't really paid too close attention. Rebekah looked slightly more shocked, "Why did you keep it a secret, we all would have approved."

"That doesn't matter now." Elijah replied, "What does matter is…." He paused, not really sure how to say the next part, so he decided to just be blunt, "Elena is pregnant."

Klaus' smirk fell and his eyes grew wide, "She's what?"

"Are you sure?" Rebekah asked, her face going from shock to joy in a matter of seconds.

"Elena took the test this morning." Caroline replied, "She is sure."

"Why are you telling us this?" Klaus questioned, thinking this was an odd conversation to be having, especially without Elena actually present.

"We thought that Elijah should know, we don't know how long it is going to take to find Elena. But the sooner the better because who knows what Mother will do to her once she finds out about the baby." Kol answered, thinking it was a lot less selfless than he just didn't want to keep it a secret anymore.

"We need to get to Elena, and quickly." Rebekah replied, her hands nervelessly moving on her lap, "Mother will never let that baby go if she gets her hands on it."

"That is easier said than done. Bonnie had no luck with her spell, my hybrids have had no luck for weeks before that. Why should we suddenly have some luck now?" Klaus informed them, deciding to be the pessimistic one here.

"Because we need to." Elijah whispered, his eyes drifting between all the people in the room, between his family.

* * *

**Three Weeks Later**

Bonnie let out a defeated sigh as she pushed herself away from the coffee table, shaking her head in anger as her magic blew out the candles in front of her.

"I think we need to try something else." Caroline said from her spot in a chair nearby, her fingers twisting some strands of her hair in her nerves.

"I know Care, I just don't know what else to try. That was the last locator spell I had." Bonnie said, getting up from the floor and stretching her legs.

"Kol and Rebekah don't have any others?" Caroline asked, watching her friend rotate her shoulders.

"Already tried all of theirs too, I don't know what else to do Care. It's been weeks and we have had zero leads." Bonnie sighed, her voice defeated as she fell into one of the many armchairs scattered around the room, placing her head in her hands.

"It isn't your fault Bon. We all know that Esther is strong, hell she created vampires, it is safe to assume that she can hide herself well." Caroline tried to comfort her friend.

"How are we going to find her Care, if not through magic?" Bonnie asked, her eyes locking with the vampire across from her.

"We are just going to have faith in regular ways I guess." Caroline suggested, using a shoulder shrug to convey her thoughts better.

"Right you are love." Klaus said as he walked into the room, Kol was close behind his brother, "We are looking everywhere within 50 miles, but it is taking time."

"Why 50 miles?" Bonnie asked as Kol sat in the chair next to her, she had to force herself not to look at him.

Klaus leaned against the side of the chair Caroline was sitting in, his hand finding a way to hers before answering, "She would have needed to relatively close at the time of the spell to be able to channel her power. Plus Elena was taken in less than 24 hours of her return, I say that means that my mother is somewhere near Mystic Falls."

Before Bonnie could question any further Klaus' phone went off, he answered it quickly, "Nate, any word?" He asked, and walked back out of the room.

Caroline turned to look at the pair across from her, with all of the searching for Elena she had yet to have an opportunity to talk to either of them. She put a sly smile on her face and said, "So, how long as this been going on for?" Her smile turned into a full on smirk as she saw them both suddenly tense, "And don't even try to pretend there isn't something going on."

Kol evaded the question, "Wipe that look off of your face Care, you shouldn't let Nik influence you so much."

Caroline just rolled her eyes and looked at Bonnie, just letting her blue eyes stare down the witch.

Bonnie sighed, "It started a few days before you got back."

"I knew something was going on!" Caroline said with joy jumping to her feet in the process, a satisfied smile on her face.

Bonnie looked at Kol before back at her blonde friend, "I thought you said you already knew?"

"I was just guessing." Caroline admitted with a guilty smile, "How ser…."

"We have a problem." Klaus interrupted her, looking between the three people in the room with concern, "Time to assemble the group."

* * *

Rebekah looked around the room with interest, she had never been in his house before and she was curious to see what kind of things it held, or at least the living room. From what she could see it was not what she was expecting for a 18 year old boy who lived by himself. She decided that he probably hadn't changed much since he was left to his own devices. There were still family photos lining the walls and it was relatively cleaned up for a bachelor pad.

"Well, what do you think?" Matt asked as he joined her on the couch, placing two glasses on the table.

"Not what I was expecting." Rebekah replied honestly, smiling shyly as she looked at the boy next to her.

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" He asked, with quirk of his eyebrows.

"A good thing." Rebekah assured him with a laugh. She hitched her breath as he leaned in and she closed her eyes as his lips meet hers. The kiss was short, tentative, sweet, and leaving her wanting more. She whispered as he pulled away, "And that was even better."

Matt just smiled in return and retook her lips. This time though Rebekah took a bit more control and pushed Matt back against the couch, climbing onto his lap in the process. Matt's hand began to travel up her lower back, hitching up her shirt so his hands were against her bare skin.

Rebekah was enjoying the feeling of his hands so much she almost didn't hear it when her phone started to ring. She let out a frustrated huff as the ringing stopped and then began again. When Matt's own phone joined in the noise, she heard him say, "Well that cannot mean anything good."

* * *

Elijah was still unsure if this was a good idea, but it was too late to turn back now. Elena had been gone for three weeks now, and the odds of them finding her anytime soon were not looking good.

"Have you found her yet?" Jeremy asked as he opened the door, not bothering with any greetings.

"No, but there are a few things I would like to talk to you about. May I come in?" Elijah asked, still trying to pin down what exactly he was going to say to the young boy.

"I guess so, got nothing else to do." He said and turned from the door, leaving it open for Elijah to enter.

Elijah closed the door behind him and followed Jeremy into the kitchen, "How are you holding up?"

"You mean, how I am doing living by myself when both my sister and guardian have been kidnapped by a crazy, thousand year old witch? Oh, I am doing great." Jeremy answered sarcastically as he started spreading some peanut butter on a slice of bread.

Elijah sighed, "I know this might not make much sense to you Jeremy, but if you ever need me for whatever reason, you can call me."

Jeremy stopped the movement of his knife and looked Elijah over critically before saying, "And why would you say that? What am I not being told?"

"Jeremy, when your sister was in the past, her and I….developed a relationship. A relationship that we both wish to continue in the here and now. And I feel that it will be easier on everyone if you are okay with it when we find Elena and bring her home. You are the most important person in Elena's life Jeremy, and I want to make sure that you and I aren't going to have any problems."

Jeremy didn't speak as he processed everything that Elijah just said. Elijah could see the gears turning in the young man's head and wished he had something else to say, but he really didn't. He had decided that no one else should know about the baby until absolutely necessary.

The silence was broken when Elijah's phone started to ring, he pulled it from his pocket and sighed as Klaus' name came across the screen, "What can I do for you brother?"

"You need to come home now, and bring Jeremy with you, he will want to hear this." Klaus replied, his voice leaving no doubt in Elijah's mind that whatever it is was not good.

"We are on our way." Elijah responded, hanging up the phone and looking over at Jeremy, "There has been a development."

* * *

Stefan took a nice long drink from his glass of scotch, enjoying the burn of the liquid as it flowed down his throat. The bottle on the table was nearly empty and he was considering getting another when he saw a hand take said bottle away.

"Not offering to share brother? That seems a bit rude." Damon said in his classic, smart ass way, and drank the rest of it straight from the bottle.

"Well, go get some more if you are going to stay." Stefan replied, as he finished off his glass.

"Already ahead of you Stef." Damon responded, pulling a bottle of tequila from behind his back. He poured some of it into Stefan's now empty glass and decided that he would just drink it straight from the bottle, "Ready to come up with a plan?"

Stefan looked at his brother carefully as he took a seat across from him, "A plan for what? We are already having zero luck finding either Elena or Alaric."

"No, we are letting the Originals have zero luck finding them. I say it is time we take matters into our own hands and look for them ourselves, screw the Originals." Damon told his little brother, "Then we will be the heroes."

"Is that what you want, to be the hero?" Stefan asked, studying his brother carefully, "Are you trying to win Elena?"

"Alaric is my best friend Stefan, let's not forget that. But yes, maybe if Elena can see me as a hero, she will get over this stupid idea of picking Elijah over us." Damon admitted, taking another drink from his bottle.

"Why can you just not accept that Elijah is who Elena wants?" Stefan asked, not really wanting to dwell on this any longer, but he couldn't just leave knowing that Elena was in danger.

"Because it makes no logical sense Stefan, that is why." Damon replied, "Now, are you sticking with the Originals or coming with me?"

Stefan felt his phone start to vibrate and took it out of his pocket before he looked to Damon, "Caroline is calling me." He replied and put the phone to his ear, it wasn't a long conversation, "She says we are needed at the mansion, one of Klaus' hybrids found something."

"Guess we will finish this conversation later then." Damon said, taken a long drink before plopping the body down on the table, "Let's go see what they found."

* * *

Elena felt her stomach lurch, she quickly got up from the bed, dropping the book that she had been reading. She ran to the door, pounding on it frantically, "Esther, I need the bathroom!" She paused a few minutes but heard no sounds, "Please, I think I'm going to be sick, I need the bathroom."

Elena heard the hurried footsteps and took a step back, as the door swung open Elena lunged through it. The bathroom was luckily the room directly across from hers in the small house. She reached her destination just in time. Elena could sense Esther watching her from the doorway and felt the elder woman shift. She was surprised to hear the sink turn on but was too focused on her task to turn and see what she was up to.

Elena took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall as she felt her stomach start to settle. A damp rag was suddenly in front of her, "Here, put this on your forehead, it will help."

"Thank you." Elena whispered and took the cloth, pressing it against her head. Her breathing was more rapid than usual, and she knew it was a combination of her sickness and anxiousness.

Esther was watching the young girl on the floor carefully, not sure what to think. This was not the first time that Elena had been ill since she had been brought here, but she was showing no other signs of an illness. Also there were subtle changes in her appearance that Esther was beginning to notice. It wasn't until she saw Elena unconsciously rub her hand protectively over her stomach that it all clicked in her head.

Esther felt her smile grow and she knelt next to Elena, "How far along are you Elena?"

Elena gulped, she felt her heart start to race even more, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Let us not play this game Elena." Esther said, shifting slightly as she looked at Elena, "I have had seven children, I think it is safe to say I know the signs. Now, I will ask again, how far along are you?"

"About eight weeks." She whispered, she was just assuming that she had gotten pregnant early on in their affair for her to have been getting signs before they left the past.

Esther just smiled, "Well, this changes a few things."

Elena sat up a bit straighter, "What are you going to do?" She asked, not even trying to hide her fear from the older woman.

"Oh, don't worry my dear. No harm will befall you or my grandchild." Esther assured her, getting to her feet and holding out a hand to the young woman in front of her, "Come now, let's get you cleaned up."

* * *

Esther smiled as she joined Alaric out on the porch of her secluded little hideaway, she was easily the happiest she had been in months.

"You seem excited. I doubt it is all because of the full moon tomorrow." He inquired, sick of being kept like a caged animal in this house with the witch. He still didn't understand why he couldn't have just kept an eye on the girl back at their own house until tomorrow night.

"Elena is pregnant my dear Alaric." Esther replied her smile growing.

"Will that hurt our plan for tomorrow?" He asked, not seeing how Elena being with child was such a joyous thing if it interrupted their long thought out plan.

"Yes, it does create a slight problem, but it also allows for a whole new plan to unfold." She answered, and looked over at the man next to her, "We will just need a new human to connect your life force to. That will not be too much of a problem, there is always Jeremy or that Matt fellow, whichever is easier to get a hold of. I am sure my children will not want to harm either."

"What is you new plan then, for Elena?" Alaric asked, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy about all he was involved in, but he shook that part of his personality aside, ridding the world of vampires was all that was mattered.

Esther glanced off into the distance before answering, the smile on her face somehow getting larger, "It is time for a resurrection."


	26. Finding Faith

Alaric knew this was a bad idea, she should have found a minion to do this. Having him walk around Mystic Falls trying to find Jeremy or Matt was only going to be a problem. He guessed both would be working at the Mystic Grill after school, but the odds of them being there without a single vampire were unlikely. He quietly walked into the building and slid into a booth in the back, it gave him full view of restaurant while disguising him in shadow. He didn't have much faith in the appearance spell that Esther cast on him, distorting his features.

The bell above the door rang and his eyes drifted to it. He let a smirk fill his face as Jeremy and Matt walked in. But it fell a few moments later when Rebekah, Stefan and Damon followed them. He noticed that they were arguing about something, rather intensely too but he was too far away to hear about what. The three sat at a table near the bar, which, between the three of them, gave an unobstructed view of the whole place.

He groaned in frustration, and looked at the menu in front of him, he needed to come up with and plan, and fast, his time was running out. He watched as Matt approached his table, "Hey, what can I get you?"

Alaric looked at the boy in front of him, and upon seeing no sign of recognition, he said, "Just a burger please."

"No problem. Anything to drink?" Matt asked, scribbling down the burger order.

"Bourbon." Alaric answered without hesitation.

"Be right back with that." He said turning around and walking back to the kitchen.

Alaric noticed that Damon's eyes had drifted to his location and where searching him with confusion. But Stefan must have spoken because suddenly Damon looked back to his brother.

The next two hours passed with zero opportunities for Alaric to sneak away and get to either of the two humans. And just as he was about to give up hope and call Esther, the three vampires left the Grill. Damon and Stefan left before Rebekah, who lingered to give Matt a long kiss goodbye. He watched as the boy smiled before going back to the kitchen and Rebekah left through the front door. He slipped from his seat and followed Matt into the alley as he took out the trash.

Alaric pulled the syringe from his pocket, it was filled with a simple knockout drug. Just before he was able to plunge it into the quarterback's neck he felt a force push him against the wall.

"You really didn't think that I would recognize your voice?" Damon asked, his voice playing on both emotions of anger and confusion, "I can't believe you are working with the witch."

"Believe it." Alaric spat in his face, and groaned as Damon pushed him harder into the wall.

"This certainly is a disturbing development." He turned to look at Matt, who was doing the perfect expression of a confused mute, "Call your girlfriend, have her and her siblings meet up at my place."

Matt fumbled for his phone, and Damon returned to Alaric, "Sorry about this Ric, but we can't have you letting the witch know there are problems." And he twisted his friend's neck but only after he had checked to make sure the ring was still on his finger.

* * *

Caroline fell onto the bed out of breath. She could feel the blood racing through her body as she came down from her high, one caused by awesome sex and his delicious blood. Caroline curled her body as he slid down next to her, placing her head on his naked chest and snuggling as close to him as their limbs allowed.

"That was amazing, as usual." She commented and placed a kiss over his heart.

"I would have to agree." He replied and licked his lips, removing the last bit of her blood from them.

"I do feel a little guilty though." Caroline told him, her finger tracing circles over his now invisible scars, but habit had taught her their locations, "I feel like we should be looking for Elena, not having sex."

"We will go back to looking for Elena later. We have to remember to put aside time for us love." Klaus replied, turning his body so he was looking at her.

"And I love us time, but that still doesn't make me feel less guilty for having a good time while Elena is in hell." Caroline responded, pushing herself up so she was propped up against the headboard.

Klaus followed her actions and took the closest hand to him, he placed a kiss on the knuckles before saying, "I want to find Elena just as much as you do love. We just have to trust in the knowledge that Esther won't hurt her, she has to have learned about the baby by now."

"That is what worries me Nik." Caroline said, shifting her body again so she was looking into his eyes, "What if it takes us another seven months to find her?"

"It won't." He said, trying to assure her of something he wasn't even sure of himself.

"You don't know that for sure." Caroline yelled, feeling all the tension she had released with their little tryst returning, "And Esther will never let that baby go if she gets her hands on it."

"Nate said he caught sight of…"

"He thinks he might have seen her and Alaric at a grocery store! Might! And he wasn't able to follow them to her hideout." Caroline reminded him, and saw his eyes flash yellow in anger before he controlled his breathing.

"You need to remember that this is a good thing. It means that they are in fact still close by." Klaus said, trying to keep his temper under control. He knew that she was just concerned, and rightfully so, about her best friend. He cupped her face and their blue eyes connected, "I promise that I will not give up until Elena is standing safely in this house, right next to you and Elijah, where she belongs."

"I wish I could have your faith." She whispered, a few tears falling from her face.

"You do, you are the one that taught me to have any." He replied, a small smile on his face as he wiped away her tears.

She smiled at him, feeling an extreme amount of love surround them, "I love you Nik."

"And I love you Caroline." He replied and pressed a tender kiss to her lips.

Nik groaned as he heard his phone start to ring, he jumped from the bed and pulled it from his jean pocket, "Yes dear sister?"

"Damon caught Alaric trying to kidnap Matt, get over the Salvatore house now!" Was all Rebekah said, hanging up the phone without waiting for a response.

He turned to tell Caroline but saw she was already halfway dressed and was pulling on a pair of jeans. She looked over at him, and she noticed he hadn't started moving yelled, "Well hurry up!"

Klaus chuckled at her insistence and impatience but quickly followed suit.

* * *

Caroline felt her nerves go up just a notch as she noticed that her mother's car was parked in front of the house. She had not spent as much time with her mother as she wished she could have, searching for Elena and being with Klaus took up all of her time.

"You okay sweetheart?" Klaus asked from the driver's seat, kissing the back of her hand as he did.

"My mom's here." Was all Caroline said, staring at the car as if it was the answer.

"What is the matter? We saw her yesterday." Klaus questioned, not sure what was wrong with this situation.

"Yes, but it was for maybe half an hour and we didn't talk in private. I have been ignoring her. I have been afraid of being left alone with her for too long." She admitted looking over at the man next to her.

"Are you worried that she disapproves of our relationship?" Klaus questioned, even though he knew that had to be the reason.

"Yes." Caroline answered with a whisper.

"How about after we find Elena, the three of us have dinner? Give her a chance to get to know the new, less homicidal Klaus." He suggested with a sweet smile and a gentle squeeze of her hand.

"Would you really do that for me?" Caroline asked, smiling at him.

"When will you realize love. I would do anything for you." He answered and gave her a full kiss before saying, "Ready to face Alaric?"

"As much as I will ever be." She said with a sigh and smiled as he suddenly opened the car door for her, his speed still a surprise.

The pair walked into the house hand-in-hand, it gave Caroline a comfort she desperately needed. Alaric being caught, not found, had shaken her up. It gave the report that Klaus' hybrid had given them seem all that more plausible, she remembered that meeting yesterday like a bad dream...

" _Alright, we are all here. What is this news you have?" Damon asked as he and Stefan settled into the large room, not surprised to find that they were the last to arrive._

" _One of my hybrids was searching in a town about 30 miles from here when he spotted Esther and Alaric. He had the impression that Alaric was working with her." Klaus explained to the people gathered in front him._

_Jeremy spoke up first, "Alaric would never betray Elena like that!"_

" _I agree, Ric is loyal and loves Elena." Stefan replied, looking at his silent brother._

" _Nate was pretty sure of what he saw. He was able to follow them for about ten miles before he blacked out do to some extreme magic pressing on his brain. My guess is either my mother figured out she was being followed or he got too close to her protective perimeter." Klaus explained, "I've sent the rest of my hybrids to help him with the search. Hopefully they can find the perimeter or even better, my mother."_

" _How can you be so sure your hybrid really saw them?" Jeremy asked, his eyes angry._

" _I showed all my hybrids detailed pictures of my mother, Alaric and Elena." Klaus responded, his voice getting an edge to hated being questioned so much, he was older than all of them, he knew what he was doing.  
_

_Caroline moved from her place on the couch with Rebekah to stand next to Klaus, slipping her hand into his. She was giving him a silent cue to relax and keep his temper, now was not the time to lose control._

" _I trust my hybrids with this information, I am sorry if it is not what you want to hear." Klaus said through gritted teeth, squeezing Caroline's hand._

" _You and your hybrids are wrong." Damon whispered harshly, his knuckles white as he gripped the back of the chair he was standing behind._

" _If they aren't wrong, we need to be prepared, this could change our plans. Alaric working with Esther instead of being a victim could change things greatly when we finally find them." Bonnie spoke up, considering herself one of the last members of the group not picking a side here. The group was splintering in front of her eyes, Elena seemed to be the glue and without her they were breaking apart. "Why would Alaric betray us?"_

" _I might have an idea." Liz spoke up, all eyes suddenly to turn to look at her, "Meredith and I have been investigating the counsel murders. There is strong evidence that points to Alaric as the killer."_

" _Alaric was attacked himself Liz." Damon pointed out._

" _Meredith has a theory that maybe Alaric is blacking out, committing these murders in a different state of mind. What if Esther takes control of him during that time and figured out a way to make that state the dominant one?" Liz informed them, looking around to different members of the group before settling on Bonnie, "Is it possible?"_

" _I don't know." Bonnie answered honestly and then looked at Kol, "Do you think it is possible?"_

" _She would need a lot of alone time with him to conduct a spell like the one you are suggesting. And she was barely alive a month when she kidnapped Elena, it would take months of conditioning to do what we are thinking." Kol answered, and then turned to look at Jeremy, who he noticed was twisting the ring on his finger. Kol's face suddenly lit up with an idea, "Jeremy, do you know what happens when you die? Where you are before you wake back up?"_

" _No, it is always a blank." He responded, his eyebrows furrowing, "Why do you ask?"_

" _What if your spirit is sent to the other side? Mother could have had contact with Alaric over there and poisoned a part of his spirit against vampires and the counsel." Kol suggested looking at his siblings to see what they thought.  
_

" _It would make sense." Rebekah replied, "How many times has Alaric been killed with his ring?"_

" _At least a dozen times over the last year." Damon supplied, "Do you really think he has been brainwashed?"_

" _It is the only thing that makes any sense of this." Caroline replied, though she knew the question was really directed at her, "Alaric just isn't the type of person to kill my father or betray Elena. If we could get a hold of Alaric, do you think we could reverse the effects of whatever Esther has done to him?" She asked, her question more for Bonnie, Kol, and Rebekah than anyone else._

" _Possibly, the important thing though, is we need to have him to even try." Kol answered._

" _So back to square one." Damon sighed and stormed out of the mansion, not listening to any of the voices that called out to him._

" _I will find him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." Stefan informed them, getting up from his chair, "Call me if you figure anything else out."_

" _Of course Stefan." Caroline told her friend before he rushed after his brother._

" _I need to get back to work and check on the search." Liz told them all before leaving as well._

" _So what do we do now?" Matt asked from his spot next to Rebekah on the couch._

_Elijah shifted from the corner of the room where he had been standing, "What we have been doing. We still search for Elena and Alaric. Esther doesn't know that we suspect her of turning Alaric against us, and that is something we have in our favor."_

" _I think what we should really be asking is, why did she turn Alaric against us all in the first place?" Klaus pointed out, and watched as everyone in the room turned completely silent, as no one had an answer._

"This is the break we have needed Caroline." Klaus whispered as they opened the door, "We are a step closer to finding Elena and bringing her home."

"You're right." She responded, trying to let his words be soothing but knowing that getting Alaric to tell them anything was a long shot.

* * *

Alaric laughed as he felt the magic surround him, trying to bring out his dormant personality, but he was stronger than the other him now and would not be destroyed so easily, "Not going to be that easy."

"We just want to know where Esther is hiding Elena." Stefan tried again, "Please Ric, tell us where she is."

"No." Alaric answered, and his eyes drifted to Damon leaning against a wall of the cell, "You'll never find her."

Rebekah suddenly stormed into the cell, and slapped Alaric hard across the face, splitting his lip, "Where she is?"

"Stupid Original bitch, I am not telling you anything." He grunted through clenched teeth and started laughing again.

"Why not let me have crack at him?" Klaus said, leaning against the doorway, a smirk on his face, "I have more practice getting information out of people than you do."

"We don't want him dead, only talking." Damon responded, looking at Stefan and Bonnie to back him up.

"I don't need to kill him to get him talking. Why don't you just leave the two of us alone?" Klaus suggested walking up to Alaric and removing the ring from his finger, "Take this with you." Klaus said as he tossed the ring to Damon, "Fear of true death is always helpful in situations like this."

"You are not…." Damon started to say, advancing on the Original when Stefan stopped him, "Let's give him a chance Damon. We need to find Elena."

Damon's eyes grew large with anger, he took one last look at Alaric before flashing from the room. Stefan and Bonnie followed him at a slower pace before leaving Klaus and Alaric alone.

Caroline cringed as she heard a scream echo throughout the house, she noticed that Elijah, Rebekah and Kol hadn't even flinched. Matt, Jeremy, and her mother looked around in confusion, not really sure if they heard what they thought they had. Stefan and Bonnie joined them in the living room not long after and just as another scream filled the house.

"Klaus thought he'd try something else to see if he can get an answer." Stefan informed them, his eyes scanning the room, "Where is Damon?"

"He never came back in here." Caroline told him, watching Stefan's face change with emotions.

"I should go find him." Stefan stated but didn't make it past the entry way before Klaus was standing in front him, using a towel to wipe his hands.

"I know where Esther is." He said smugly and took joy in watching their faces contort into surprise. He was always being under estimated.

* * *

Esther paced back and forth in continued frustration with each passing moment that Alaric was late. The moon had risen an hour ago and he was supposed to have been back long before that.

Elena was sitting quietly on the couch behind the woman, smiling despite herself, feeling bold with the knowledge that Esther wouldn't kill her. She turned to look at the pacing witch and said with a sweet voice, "Is there something wrong Esther?"

She rounded on Elena quickly, her eyes furious, "You are just so excited that he is running behind, aren't you Elena?"

"Of course I am, anything that ruins your plans makes me excited." Elena responded, hating that she was always the key to some sinister plan, she was really sick of being used.

"You confuse me Elena." Esther said and took a seat next to the young woman, "Vampires have only brought pain and death to your life. One would think that someone with your history would hate vampires but instead you do everything in your power to protect them."

Elena listened to Esther's words and saw the truth in them but it didn't escape Elena's notice that she had forgotten something, "I do not blame all vampires for my problems, only a few. Stefan and Damon opened my eyes to a new world and have saved my life many times over. Caroline is my best friend and she has been since we were children, I would never abandon her just because a vengeful bitch turned her into a vampire."

"They never would have had to save you if vampires had never been created." Esther pointed out, "And Caroline would be still be a normal human girl."

"If Stefan had never become a vampire then I would have died the day my parents and I drove off of the Wickery Bridge." Elena shot back, "And if they never existed I wouldn't be carrying your only grandchild."

"If I had never created vampires in the first place there is a possibility that my children would have married and had children a thousand years ago." Esther retorted, her eyes drifting to the door behind Elena, hoping for it to move.

"You forget Esther, I was there. All of your children should have already had been married, according the local customs anyway. Do you really think that a few more years would have changed anything? And your secret still would have came out eventually, no one remained innocent for long back then. Klaus would have killed someone, how do think Mikael would have reacted to that?" Elena asked, knowing it was really Mikael and not Esther that pushed away any possible suitors for their children, just his demeanor alone scared people away.

"8 months does not give you a great amount of insight to the ways of my life Elena." Esther replied, her voice low and threatening. Cheating on Mikael was her second greatest regret, right after turning her family into vampires.

"It gave me a lot more insight than you would like to admit." Elena said and jumped to her feet, her anger flaring up, "Let me tell you something Esther. I will do everything I possibly can to protect my family."

"My children are not your family." Esther said through gritted teeth as she rose to her feet as well.

"Loving your son made them my family." Elena replied and turned on her heel and stomped into her room, slamming her door shut behind her.

She laid down on her bed, angry tears slipping from her eyes. She rubbed a hand over her stomach and whispered, "You and I need to find a way out of here little one, I can't let your grandmother ever touch you with her evil."


	27. Looking to Escape

Elijah looked around carefully as they approached the house where Alaric had told them Esther had been holding up for the last few months. The closer their group got to the house, the more concerned he became. They should have encountered some sort of repellent spell against entrance by now.

"I don't like this." Klaus whispered, silently falling into step beside his brother as they walked up the front steps. Damon and Rebekah were heading for the back door, while Stefan and Kol each watched a side of the house. All were backed up by a few hybrids. Caroline was walking about 15 feet behind them, Bonnie next to her. Jeremy and Matt had been left behind to keep an eye on Alaric, along with a hybrid for protection.

"I was just thinking the same thing." Elijah replied, he eyed the front door with hesitation, "I don't hear any noises coming from inside."

"Nor do I." Klaus agreed and placed his hand on the doorknob, turning it effortlessly and pushing open the door. They each listened for any movement, but still didn't hear a thing. Klaus walked through the door and turned to look at his brother on the other side of the threshold, "Not a good sign."

Elijah rushed into the house and he heard the back door open as well. He looked around the small living room and then walked into a bed room that held the most of Elena's scent. The room was nearly empty except for the furniture and a folded piece of paper sitting on top of pillow on the bed. Elijah slowly picked up the paper, he heard footsteps stop behind him, and knew that Caroline was standing in the doorway. He sat down on the bed before looking up at the blonde.

He unfolded the paper and read the note it contained aloud, "Hello my children. I assumed you had recovered Alaric since he never returned and took my precautions carefully. Elena and I will not be returning to this residence and our new home is somewhere Alaric never had the pleasure of seeing. I urge you to give up your search. No harm is going to come Elena, I need her alive for my plans to work and I would especially never harm her while she is in her current condition. Give up, you will never find us. Love, Esther."

"That bitch is taunting us!" Caroline yelled through her teeth and punched the door, her anger needing an outlet, "What do we do know? We just lost our best chance!"

"We found her once love, we will find her again." Klaus said from behind her, pressing his front into her back and holding her close.

"What did she mean by Elena's 'current condition'?" Damon asked, causing Caroline and Klaus to turn to look at him where he stood in the hallway, Stefan and Bonnie at his side.

Kol and Rebekah emerged from another room down the hall so they were standing behind Klaus and Caroline. All four looked into the room to watch as Elijah slowly walked into the hall, leaving it up to him to either lie or tell them truth. Elijah's eyes drifted over each of his siblings before turning to the other three, "I do not know. Esther must know something that we don't."

"I don't believe you." Damon angrily replied and took a step toward the Originals.

"I don't care what you believe Damon." Elijah came back, stalking slowly toward the eldest Salvatore, "Either get on board with what I just told you, or leave. I really don't have a preference either way."

Damon's face somehow managed to show more anger than was on it previously, "I am sick of taking orders from the lot of you! I will find Elena on my own." He glanced at Stefan, but he simply looked down at the floor, giving his brother a silent answer to his unasked question. Damon flashed from the house without another word.

"Idiot is going to get himself killed." Kol commented as the entire group moved into the living room.

"Are sure you don't want to go with him Stefan?" Caroline asked, moving to stand next to her friend, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"He isn't going to listen to anything I have to say Care. I made my choice and I am sticking with it." Stefan assured her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before looking to Klaus and Elijah, "What do we do now?"

"We continue looking until we find her." Elijah said, "Let's think about this step by step. It took us about 45 minutes to get here since Alaric told us where to go. We've been here about half an hour. We had Alaric for three hours before he cracked. That gives Esther a little over a four hour head start on us."

Klaus nodded and went out to the front porch, they could all hear him giving his hybrids orders. A few minutes later in came back in, "I sent each of them to follow a different road, hopefully one will pick up on their trail while we look for any clues she might have left here."

"I doubt she was that careless Nik." Rebekah commented as she looked around the sparsely decorated room.

"Got any better ideas Bekah?" Klaus asked his sister in return, who just shook her head.

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

Elena looked at the building in front of her with growing anticipation, this was her chance to escape. There were too many people here for Esther to keep constant taps on her.

"Are you ready my dear?" Esther asked from the driver's seat as she parked the car.

"Do I really have a choice?" Elena asked in response but undid her seatbelt. Truthfully she was looking forward to this, her first doctor's appointment for the baby. This visit would tell her exactly how far along she was and give her the first look she would have at her baby. She really just wished that Elijah was with her instead of Esther and that she was doing this of her own free will.

"This really is for you Elena, this will make sure that your baby is healthy." Esther said and unbuckled her seat belt, "Now get out of the car, we don't want to be late."

Elena rolled her eyes but did as she was told, Esther wasn't wrong about the importance of this appointment, which was why her escape wouldn't take place until after she had been examined.

The two women walked into the clinic with smiles on their faces, Elena's was more hesitant but the woman behind the counter would probably just think of it as nerves.

"Hello, how can I help you?" The assistant asked, with a huge, genuine smile on her face. Elena guessed the young woman was only a few years older than herself.

"Hello, my daughter-in-law here has an appointment. Elena Anderson." Esther said, giving the girl a friendly smile.

"Yes, I see it. Here is some paperwork you will need to fill out and I will let the doctor know you're here." The girl replied, handing Elena the clipboard, giving her a small smile.

"Thank you." Elena said quietly and took the offered papers. She followed Esther to some nearby chairs, and asked, "How do you want me to answer these questions?"

"All of them can be the truth, with the exception of your name. We don't want to lie too much to the good doctors." Esther told her, smiling and nodding at anyone who happened to walk by them.

"Oh no, you mean I shouldn't tell the doctors that I'm being held hostage by my child's psychotic grandmother?" Elena whispered sarcastically and got a heated glare from the older woman. She just put on a satisfied smile before continuing on with the paperwork. It didn't take her long to complete the forms and return them to the girl behind the counter.

"Elena Anderson?" A different woman asked, about five minutes a later, as she held open a door to the back part of the clinic.

"Yes." Elena said with a smiled and got to her feet, Esther following close behind. Elena knew the drill, they had discussed this in length on the drive here, "Is it alright if my mother joins us? I am little nervous."

"Oh, of course not, just follow me." The woman said with a smile. Unlike the girl at the desk, Elena guessed that this woman was closer in age to Esther than herself. The nurse led them to an exam room and gestured for Elena to take a seat in a chair, Esther took an extra one near the door. "Okay, I have just a few more questions to ask you before the doctor comes in." She said, "I'm Betty by the way. These questions are a little personal…"

Elena understood what the woman was hinting at and looked at Esther, "Could you maybe wait in the hall for a few minutes?"

"Sure, whatever makes this easier for you my dear." Esther said, but gave Elena a very clear look. Not that it mattered, Esther had spelled her against telling anyone that she was here against her will.

"Alright, how many sexual partners have you had?" Betty asked as the door closed.

"Two." Elena answered, "My high school boyfriend and then my…husband."

"Was this a planned pregnancy?" She asked, writing a few things on the paper.

"No, it was an accident, but a happy one." Elena replied, wondering if Elijah even knew about the baby, but she was finding it hard to believe that he didn't, neither Caroline or Kol could have kept it a secret this long.

"How far along to you think you are?" The nurse asked, looking up at her with a smile.

"About ten weeks. I am pretty sure about it. My husband has been away of business for the last 6 weeks, so it had to before that." She said with a laugh, though it sounded forced to her ears.

"I see, is that why your mother is here with you?" The woman asked, and Elena could tell she wasn't prying, only being talkative.

"Mother-in-law actually. My parents died in a car crash two years ago, Esther has been kind enough to take over that role in my life." Elena informed the nurse, her smiling fading at the thought of her parents.

"I am sorry for you loss, but it seems like you have a great family in the making here." Betty said with a smile and then stood up, "I will go see if the doctor is ready for you and send your mother-in-law back in."

"Thank you." Elena said with a smile as she watched the woman leave but it dropped as she saw Esther walk through the door before it could close.

Neither woman spoke as they waited for the nurse or the doctor, but luckily it wasn't a long silence.

"Hi, Elena? I'm Dr. Walker." A friendly looking middle aged woman asked as she entered the room.

"Yes. That's me." Elena replied with a smile.

"Alright Elena, just hop up on here and let's take a look." Dr. Walker said and gestured toward the exam table.

Elena did as she was told and watched as the doctor turned on a machine, "Okay Elena, roll up your shirt please."

Elena rolled up her shirt with shaking hands, she was getting more and more nervous with each passing second.

Dr. Walker turned to look at her, "It is okay to be a little nervous but I promise, this is going to be an experience you will never forget." She assured her and then held up a tube, "I am going to put some of this on your stomach, it will be a little cold." Dr. Walker spread some of the gel on Elena's stomach, and then picked up the wand attached to the machine, "Look at the screen, let's see if we can find your baby."

Esther had moved to stand next to Elena and was watching the screen intently, never having seen one used before in person. Elena felt her nerves hit an even higher level, she took the only support she had and clenched Esther's hand.

Dr. Walker was moving the wand around slowly, she stopped it and with a smile pointed at the screen, "There is the heartbeat. Looks like you are about…" She paused and her faced got confused as she moved the wand a little to the left.

"Is something wrong?" Esther asked, and Elena squeezed her hand.

"No, nothing like that. I just found a second heartbeat. Congratulations Elena, you are having twins." Dr. Walker informed the two women, a genuine smile on her face.

Elena felt her heart stop for a second, she swallowed and asked, "Twins? You're sure?"

"Yes, see here is one heartbeat," She said, gesturing to some fluttering on the screen, "And here is the second. There are clearly two distinct heartbeats."

"I'm having twins." Elena whispered and felt a smile spread across her face as she looked at the shapes on the monitor that were her children.

* * *

Her mind was racing and so was her pulse. She watched Esther's back as the elder woman paid for the visit and made a second appointment. Elena glanced at the woman who was sitting next to her, she was completely distracted by the man she was silently arguing with. Elena could see the woman's phone sticking out of her purse's side pocket. With a quick glance to make sure Esther was distracted first, Elena slipped the phone out of its owner's purse and into her back pocket.

"Are you ready Elena?" Esther asked, placing her wallet back into her purse as she stood in front of Elena.

"Yeah, let's go home." Elena said with a sigh and followed her out into the parking lot. Her eyes drifted to the large department store across the street, her mind remembering when days were simple. When she was six, their mother had taken her and Jeremy shopping with her to a similar store. Jeremy had wandered off at some point and it had taken almost an hour to find him napping under a rack of clothes. She smiled at the distant memory and it gave her an idea, much better than her first one.

Elena glanced at Esther, she was busy trying to find her keys in her over-sized purse. Elena guessed the distance between her and the corner with the stoplight was maybe 40 feet, she guessed she could make it before the light turned but Esther wouldn't be able to follow her in time. She watched it desperately, moving herself to the end of the car, giving herself a straight shot to the corner and across the street. She was planning on Esther to not be willing to use her magic in such a public place, as there were a lot of people of walking around the strip mall that held the clinic.

The light turned green and the walk symbol came up, she didn't take a second to overthink her decision and bolted. She heard Esther yell after her but she knew better than to look back, it would only slow her down. She made it to the intersection just as the stop-hand started to flash, she didn't even pause in her escape and made it to the other side of the street just as the light turned.

Elena stopped to catch her breath and finally turned around, Esther was standing on the other side of the busy, four lane street. Elena was pretty sure she had never seen a face project that much fury before. She simply gave the woman a smirk before sprinting into the store's parking lot. She figured that if a four year old boy could lose himself in a department store, than so could she.

The automatic doors slid open and Elena slowed her run to a casual walk, she didn't want to bring any unnecessary attention to herself before she figured out the next step in her plan. Her eyes drifted to the bathroom, but she quickly decided that would be the first place Esther would look for her. Next she saw the sign for the woman's section and went to it quickly. She picked up a few random shirts as she walked by them, not even checking to see if they were in her size, and walked into the changing rooms.

As she closed the door behind her, Elena quickly pulled out the stolen phone and dialed Jeremy's phone number, it was the only one she could remember completely.

"Hello?" He answered in a low voice, "Who is this?"

"Jeremy." Elena whispered, trying to keep her voice at a calm tempo.

"Oh my god, Elena!" He yelled, "Where are you are? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine and hiding at a Target in Fell's Church. I don't know how much longer I can stay hidden." She whispered, sitting down on the bench inside the room. She dropped her head into her hands.

"Why don't you go to the police?" Jeremy asked and she could hear someone else talking in the background.

"Esther spelled me, I can't." She responded, "I need you to call them for me."

"Matt is on the phone with Rebekah now, one of Klaus' hybrids is nearby, he is coming to get you." Jeremy told her, repeating what she could hear Matt telling him.

"Esther will be able to take out a single hybrid Jer, I am going to need more back up than that." Elena informed him, her nerves causing her hands to shake.

"Elena, just hope it is enough." Jeremy told her, "I am staying on this phone with you until you are safe."

"Okay." Elena sighed in defeat, hoping that this plan would work, it was really her only chance.

"Are you okay, truly? Esther hasn't hurt you?" Jeremy asked, and Elena could hear his concern.

"No, Esther hasn't hurt me, she still needs me. Did you guys catch Alaric, is that why he never came back?" Elena asked, really curious about her guardian.

"Yeah, he tried to kidnap Matt but Damon was able to catch him before he could do anything. Klaus was able to get your location from him. The last few weeks Bonnie and Damon have been trying to get the real Ric back, not this vampire hunting fanatic that has taken his place." Jeremy explained before pausing, she could hear talking in the background, "He is in the parking lot. Meet him in the men's department by the socks. His name is Dean and he is going to greet you by calling you Annie."

"Okay, I'm heading out." She said as she opened the door slowly and walked with confidence out of the women's section and into the men's. She casually started browsing the socks, "I am looking at socks now."

"Good, just wait, he'll be there soon." Jeremy assured her through the phone.

"What do you think of this jacket Annie?" A deep voice said as a body moved up next to hers.

She quickly kept herself from flinching at the voice, and turned to look at the man next to her, "I think it is great Dean." She saw him subtly nod and hand her a large purse.

"I'll call you back when I leave the store." She said into the phone and hung up. She then looked in the bag and saw a blonde wig and sweater, looking around quickly she tied her hair back and pushed it into the wig. Dean looked around carefully, trying to catch sight of Esther while keeping Elena out of sight of the other people in the store. Elena then shrugged into the sweater and said, "On second thought, I don't think you need another jacket. Let's just go home."

"If you say so." He sighed, placing the jacket on a random rack and took her hand, together they walked out of the store. Looking perfectly like a young, happy couple out for some light shopping.

It took all of Elena's willpower not to look behind her every couple of seconds, but she knew that it would bring Esther's attention to them if she saw someone looking like they had something to hide.

* * *

Elena didn't allow herself to breathe a sigh of relief until she could no longer see the Target through the back window. She settled into the passenger seat of Dean's blue two door car and finally allowed herself to smile. She ran a hand soothingly over her stomach, which was not nearly as flat as it used to be.

Suddenly there was a phone in front of her, "Call Elijah." Dean said, his eyes on the road.

Elena didn't need to be told again. She snatched the phone and scrolled until she found Elijah's number, she pressed it and waited with bated breath during the first and only ring.

"Elena?" She heard his voice ask.

"Yeah, I'm here." She whispered, choking back a sob.

"She hasn't hurt you has she?" He asked, and Elena could hear him trying to hide his emotions.

"I'm fine, perfectly healthy actually. Esther didn't want to harm me, just use me in her plans." Elena informed him, her extra hand resting on her stomach.

"She won't get to you again, I promise you." Elijah swore and Elena could practically feel the conviction in his words.

"And I know you will keep it." She said and watched as they passed a sign saying they were only 15 miles from Mystic Falls, "I can't wait to see you, we have so much to talk about."

"That we do." He agreed, and she could hear the underlying tone in his voice.

"Elijah, I really…" Elena started to say when he interrupted her, "We will talk about it in person."

"We should be there in five minutes." Dean told her, and she looked out the window, recognizing the landscape.

"How fast are you driving?" She asked, feeling no need to repeat his message, she was sure Elijah had hear it.

"Fast enough." He replied and gave her a quick smile before looking back at the road.

"See you soon love." Elijah told her, indicating that she should hang up.

"Yeah. Bye." She replied and hung up the phone. She handed it back to Dean, "Thank you for coming to get me Dean."

"You are welcome Elena." He answered, and glanced at her again before saying, "Klaus has had all his hybrids looking for you since the day you were taken. He was very concerned about you."

"Oh." She whispered, looking at the rapidly moving landscape before asking, "Do you wish you had never become a hybrid?"

Dean didn't answer right away, and Elena was about to apologize for prying when he said, "I am happy to not have my life controlled by the full moon but I do wish I had more free will. But lately, Klaus does seem different. Caroline is a very good influence on him."

"Are you hoping that he will change enough to release you from your sire bond?" Elena asked again, now really feeling like she was prying but she also didn't want to just sit in silence for the rest of their short drive.

"He has already said he will, once his mother is dealt with for good he has promised to release us." Dean informed her, watching for her reaction from the corner of his eyes.

Elena just smiled at the thought of a changing Klaus, at the changing world they were currently involved with. Elena's eyes widened as they drove up the long drive to the Mikaelson manner, her heart starting to race. She hadn't really believed she would be safe until this moment. They parked and Elena took a deep breath as the front door opened and Elijah walked out of the mansion, pausing at the bottom of the steps.

"Thank you again Dean. I hope you get everything you want." She said with a polite smile before she opened the door and locked eyes with the man she loved.


	28. Together at Last

Elijah watched the car pull up the drive and felt his heart start to race. It had been almost two months since he had last seen her, and that moment had been very brief in the minutes after her return. He watched as the car came to a stop and the beautiful woman in the passenger seat turned to the driver for a quick moment before opening the door and stepping out.

Elena took three steps forward and stopped, staring in Elijah's eyes from the distance. He waited until Dean's car had driven out of sight before he used his speed to close the space between them and hugged her to him.

Her arms held him as tightly as her humanity allowed and she felt the tears she had been holding back start to fall. He pulled away slightly and wiped the tears from her cheeks, "It is all going to alright now. You are safe." He whispered, and cupped her face as the last tears dried.

"I know, I am just so happy to see you." She responded and pressed her lips to his without another word. She just wanted to express how happy she was to see him and that action was better than any words could have been.

"Let's go inside and talk." Elijah said quietly when their lips separated.

Elena just nodded and clenched his hand, wondering what was waiting for her inside the house. Before she could lift her foot to the first step she paused, feeling a since of panic start to overpower her, "Who is all in there?"

"My family and your friends with the exception of Damon and Alaric, who is still not himself." Elijah told her, turning to look at her, "Do you want me to sneak you in and ask them to leave?"

"No." She answered quickly, "There are just a few things I need to talk to you about before I see everyone else."

Elijah paused for a moment before answering, trying to figure out a way to word what he wanted to say. He wished they could have a bit more time to talk but everyone was too concerned to be willing to wait, "Caroline and Kol were unable to keep your secret Elena. I know everything." He said and placed his free hand over her stomach.

She covered his hand with hers and said in a low voice, "I figured they would have told you by now."

"We will talk more once the others have been assured of your safety. Everyone was very concerned about you." Elijah informed her and led them up the stairs.

Before he could open the door she said, "Does everyone know?" Elena suddenly felt self-conscious and looked down at herself. The sweater that Dean had given her covered the barely noticeable bulge of her stomach, but she knew it was there and to her it seemed like the most obvious thing in the world.

Elijah used his fingers and tipped Elena's chin up. He gave her a chaste kiss on the lips, "You can only see it if you know it is there. I promise you, no one will notice. And to answer your question, only my siblings have been informed. I felt that is was not a secret I was privy to share, especially not knowing if you were ready for the information to be public."

"Thank you." Elena responded and kissed him in return, this one a little less chaste but still not nearly what she wanted it to be, "I'm ready now."

Elijah nodded and opened the door, ushering her in with a hand on the small of her back. She was barely five feet in the door when she felt herself pulled away from Elijah and a large mass of blonde hair was in front of her.

"Oh Elena, I am so happy you are finally home." Caroline said, crushing her friend to her in a desperate embrace, "I was so worried that I would never see you again."

"Honestly, I was a bit concerned about that myself. But I am here now Care, and I do still need to breath." She let out with a laugh as she returned her best friend's hug.

"Sorry." Caroline replied and released her, "I am just so happy to see you."

"It is perfectly alright." Elena answered and could feel the tears start to pool in her eyes again.

"My turn." A voice said and pushed Caroline gently out of the way. Bonnie looked at her friend with relief flooded features and Elena didn't miss the chance to hug the witch, "I missed you Elena."

"And I you Bon." Elena replied, the tears now hung on the edge of her eyes.

Bonnie pulled away slowly and studied Elena, as if trying to solve a puzzle, "You are sure you are alight? You seem….different."

"Well, I am sure over two months with a maniac can change a person." Jeremy's voice sounded as he stepped up next to the Bonnie and turned his sister to hug her, "I am so glad that you are truly safe. I have been a bundle of nerves ever since we got off the phone."

"Oh Jer, I'm so sorry. I never did call you back." She chided herself and she hugged her brother close, the tears finally sliding down her cheeks.

"It's okay, I knew you were alright. Elijah told me that he made sure you called him once you and Dean were safely out of town." He assured her, pushing her back gently, he added, "Don't cry Elena, you are safe and sound."

"And we will make sure that Esther never gets anywhere near you again." Rebekah told her, coming up for her turn at the hug train Elena seemed to be in.

"How are you going to do that Bekah?" Elena asked into the blonde's shoulder as they embraced.

"You are all living in the mansion until Esther is caught." Rebekah responded, "Jeremy, Matt and Bonnie have already moved in."

"You have?" Elena asked, turning to look at her brother and friend.

"After Alaric's attempt on Matt we figured there was safety in numbers." Bonnie replied, "Besides, this place is huge, more than enough room for all of us."

"I built it large for a reason Bonnie." Klaus' voice echoed as he emerged from a door leading to the back of the house, "So happy to have you home Elena." Klaus told her and brought her in for a gentle hug, as he pulled away and went to stand next to Caroline he said, "Dean has told me about what he witnessed in Fell's Church and we have no reason to believe that Esther followed you. He saw her when he entered the store, but she didn't follow the two of you out. Unfortunately though, she isn't an idiot, she will know that you are here by now."

"I figured as much." Elena said with sigh and looked around the room, noticing that there were still three people she had yet to see. Four if you counted Damon, but Elijah had told her that he wasn't here, she figured that there was an explanation for that, but it could wait. Before she could ask their whereabouts, the three men in question walked into the large entry way and she smiled at them.

Kol flashed to her and gave her a quick spin before putting her back on her feet and giving her cheek a quick kiss, "I missed you Elena, so glad to have you home. Now we can start having fun again."

"I don't think anything could stop you from having fun Kol." Elena joked and smiled as Matt came up to her, "Good to you see you Matt."

Matt smiled as he pulled her in for a hug and said "It is great to have you back Elena." He pulled away to stand next to Rebekah and he seamlessly slipped his hand into her's.

She nodded with a pleased smile on her face, Matt was exactly the kind of man Rebekah needed in her life. She let her gaze drift to Stefan and smiled sweetly at him. Elena took a few steps closer to him and said, "It's good to see you Stefan."

He locked eyes with her and replied, "I am glad you are safe Elena." He made no move to touch her, and the tension in the room was thick. Stefan spoke quietly to break it, "I am going to go check on Damon, to make sure he isn't doing anything stupid."

"Good luck with that Stefan." Klaus commented as he watched the broken hearted boy leave the large house.

Elena looked at the place Stefan was before turning to Klaus, "Why would Damon be doing something stupid?"

"Well his best friend keeps trying to kill him and the woman he loves has left him, in a sense, for another man. A better one, but still." Kol answered the question, smirking at the thought of the arrogant Salvatore thinking he ever had a chance with Elena.

"Now is not the time Kol." Elijah reprimanded his youngest brother and turned to look at Elena, "Do you want to eat something?"

"That would be great." Elena responded, suddenly feeling famished, and then she remembered that she was now eating for three, "I am starving."

* * *

The lunch that was prepared was not just a simple sandwich as she had expected. It was a full pasta meal that would rival any Italian restaurant. She was surprised to learn that Kol, Klaus and Elijah were excellent cooks while Rebekah tended to burn everything she touched.

The lunch also caught Elena up on all the relationship developments of their little group. Klaus and Caroline were nearly inseparable, which really wasn't any news to Elena, she had expected that things would be that way. What did surprise her was that Bonnie and Kol were an item, though Bonnie insisted it was just for fun and nothing serious. Rebekah on the other hand was obviously in love with Matt and Elena thought that maybe the feeling was mutual, though neither had said the words yet. It was the way that they looked at each other that gave Elena that opinion and the way they subtlety leaned into the other. She was also amazed that Jeremy was hanging out with the newly returned April Young and was thinking of asking her out when things finally settled down. He didn't want to risk getting her involved in all the drama that surrounded their lives.

It was amazing to Elena how all of their lives were slowly starting to reach a level of normalcy even with all the drama. She also couldn't help but wonder how the three people at the table that didn't know of her impending motherhood would react, and she wanted to tell them, but she need to tell Elijah everything first. This would not be the last opportunity for them to all be together and she still had a few weeks before she could no longer hide it, but she didn't want to have to wait that long.

Without any conscious thought she released a low yawn and Caroline giggled next to her, "I think you have had a tough day Elena. Maybe you should consider a nap before dinner."

Elena was about it retort that she was fine, when Rebekah answered, "I am sure your bed would be more comfortable than that chair, you've been pretty out of it for a few minutes now."

"I guess a little nap won't hurt." She replied when another yawn escaped her lips. And the entire table let out a collective, good natured laugh at her expense.

"Come on, I'll show you to your room." Elijah answered, he was trying hard to not start laughing again at the pretend angry glare she gave the table.

"I will see all you later right?" She asked, turning around at the doorway out of the dining room.

"Of course. I am thinking of planning something special for dinner." Kol replied, winking at Elena, and she noticed Klaus rolled his eyes.

She just nodded and allowed Elijah to lead her up a set stairs. She felt her nerves start to rise again as he opened a door that held entrance to a large room with a large four-poster bed, but she noticed something immediately about the room that didn't fit with her idea of where she would be staying, "Am I staying in here alone?"

"Yes, my room is next door." He replied distinctly, his voice holding a nervous edge to it, "I didn't want to make any assumptions." He added when Elena turned to look at him, "We haven't talked Elena, everything I know is second hand information."

"From people we both trust." Elena defended but she could see where his argument made sense, "But I think we should talk now and in your room, not this one."

Elijah just nodded and walked back into the hall, Elena followed him as he entered the room down the hall but still right next to hers. She gasped as she took in the even larger, and more grandly decorated room. Everything she saw in the neatness and elegance screamed Elijah and she easily felt at home in the large space. Elena heard him close the door behind her as she stepped further into the room. She ran a hand over the expensive looking comforter and was amazed at its softness.

Elena allowed her mind to come back to the situation at hand and turned to face Elijah, who was leaning uneasily against the door, "When Alaric and Esther kidnapped me I was planning on coming here, to talk to you. I had spent the morning cutting my romantic ties to Stefan and Damon. I was coming here to tell you that I love you Elijah and I don't want to live without you. I was also coming to tell you that I'm pregnant, but I promise that it played no part in my decision to be with you. I want to be with you because I love you, and I would still want to be with you whether I was pregnant or not."

"Elena I…" Elijah said as he walked closer to her, but she held up a hand and he stopped.

"There is one more thing you to need to know before you say anything Elijah. The reason I was able to escape today was because Esther let her guard down when she took me to the doctor this morning. The doctor did an ultrasound. We're having twins Elijah." Elena watched as his eyes widened before a slow smile filled his features.

"Elena I love you. I have for a very long time now. I knew I loved you before I ever became a vampire. And I promise that I will never leave your side for as long as you want me and I will never abandon our children. I don't know exactly what kind of father I will be, but I promise to never give up trying to be a good one." He told her, coming up and gently gripping the top of her arms.

"I never thought you would do anything else." She replied in a small voice, smiling up into his brown eyes.

Elijah lowered his lips to hers and she relaxed instantly into his embrace. Elena felt a need rise up within her and she quickly turned the kiss into something more demanding. Elijah easily fell into pace with her and gently glided her back a few steps until her legs pressed up against the bed. She eased herself onto it and brought him along with her. Elijah quickly covered her body with his and her hands started to work on removing his jacket. She sighed in frustration and whispered, "Why must you always wear a suit? It makes getting you out of your clothes so much more difficult."

Elijah chuckled against her neck before standing back up, she was about to protest when she realized he was simply removing his suit.

Elena quickly followed his example and got rid of her own clothing until she was sitting on the bed completely naked. Elena felt self-conscious again as Elijah's eyes raked over her body, taking in the unobstructed view. Elijah eased himself back onto the bed and whispered between kisses on her lips and neck, "You are so beautiful."

Elena smiled at the compliment and kissed him passionately. Elijah pulled away before they could go much farther, "Are you sure that…."

Elena giggled as she understood what he was trying to ask, "I assure you that nothing you do is going to do any harm. Now, don't leave me waiting any longer Elijah."

"I think we've both waited long enough." He agreed and then kissed her again, this time allowing himself to be lost in the softness of her skin.

* * *

Elena snuggled deeper into the soft covers and pillows as she fought to go back to sleep. Her little nap had been the most peaceful sleep she had had in months and she wasn't sure she was ready to be awake yet. An arm tightened across her waist made her smile grow and she opened her eyes as she rolled onto her other side. Elijah's deep brown eyes connected with hers and she smiled at him, "How long was I asleep?"

"About two hours." He answered, his fingers lazily playing across her hip under the covers.

"How are you feeling about everything? I have had nothing but time to think while I was with Esther. I am sure you did nothing but worry." She asked, and she could see his mind working behind his eyes.

"Honestly, I am a frightened. I never thought that I would have a chance to be a father, not after we became vampires. And, I did not have the best role model in my own. As a human I would have been terrified of not being a good father, and that emotion in even more heightened now. I am a vampire Elena, what kind of father can I be? They will grow and I yet I will always be the same, as will a majority of their family. What kind of life can they expect to have with a family of vampires?" Elijah voiced his fears to Elena, allowing her to see a vulnerability that no one else knew existed.

"A good one, for their entire lives they will never have to be alone and they will always be protected. And once Esther is gone, so will the greatest threat to our happiness and theirs." Elena told him, and brought her hand up to cup his cheek, "I have faith in you Elijah. You will be a wonderful father."

"I wish I could share your faith in me Elena." He whispered, and moved his hand from her hip to her stomach.

Elena smiled at the man laying next to her, "We have six months for me to try and prove it to you before they are born. I think that I can be very convincing."

Elijah grinned as he leaned into to kiss the woman he loved, as he pulled away he asked, "When and how do you want to tell everyone?"

"I was thinking of doing it tonight at dinner. I don't want to lie to them." She informed her, moving so she was on her back.

"Probably not a bad idea, Rebekah, Caroline and Kol have been having a hard time keeping the information to themselves." Elijah informed her, "Are you angry at them for telling me? Or for us then telling Rebekah and Klaus?"

"No." Elena promised him, "I had already decided that they would tell you. Caroline is awful at keeping secrets, especially from those she loves. Plus, I had a sense that they would feel you deserved to know, and you did. I just wish circumstances could have been different, because I would have loved to see your reaction."

"I am sure Kol would be happy to show you." He teased, but knew what she meant. He would have loved to have learned it from her, not from his brother and Caroline, "But you will get to see everyone have a new reaction now. Twins is something that only we know."

"That is true." Elena said and found a smirk coming to her face, "How much longer until we have to be ready for dinner?"

"It is only a little after 3, we have a few hours yet." Elijah told her as he turned back to her after looking at the clock on his side table.

"Good, because I have thought of something we could do to pass the time." She said seductively and moved her body so it was flush against his that had been the first time she had been with him as a vampire and she loved the experience.

"I think I might know what you have in mind." He whispered before leaning in to kiss her.


	29. A Dinner to Remember

Elena put on her dress with hesitation, it had been delivered for her while she had dozed off. It was a beautiful, simple but elegant floor length purple gown. No matter how beautiful the gown was, or looked on her, she just couldn't stop herself from staring in the full length mirror, running her hands over her stomach.

"You look beautiful, stop second guessing yourself." Elijah said, coming up and wrapping his hands around her from behind, resting them over her stomach.

"I think you are obligated to think that." Elena commented, leaning back into him.

"Perhaps but I am sure the others will agree." Elijah told her, running his hands lovingly over her sides, "Are you ready to face whatever Kol has planned?"

"Could it really be that bad?" Elena asked, turning around to look at him.

"I am sure with Kol it will be nothing if not unexpected, but that could mean a variety of different things. His mood changes with the day, but I am sure you already knew that about my youngest brother." Elijah informed her, smiling as he took her hand and led them toward the door.

"Yes, that one I was aware of." She laughed as they walked to the dining room, "And with Caroline and Rebekah around, he has no loss of willing conspirators."

Elena gasped as she took in the sight of the room in front of her. The dining room had two inside doors, one led to the kitchen and the other was the entry from the rest of the house. Over the two double doors that led to an outside patio there was a huge banner that said in large painted letters, "Welcome Home Elena" and there were flowers everywhere. She could tell from the perfection of the design that Caroline had in her hands in this. There was also a strong aroma of something delicious wafting in from the kitchen.

"Elijah, you were supposed to wait until we came to get you." Klaus whispered, appearing from the kitchen door and shoving them out into a sitting room, "Caroline will kill me if things don't go the way she has planned. I love her, but the woman is a control freak."

Elena laughed at Klaus' insistence, and said, "She has always been that way. There is a reason she was Miss Mystic Falls and planned every dance the school had our last two years there."

"Yes, well you are going to pretend you didn't see a thing." He warned, giving both of them a pointed look before leaving them, presumably to do something for Caroline's master plan.

Elena turned to look at Elijah but before she could do anything, Jeremy, Matt and Bonnie walked into the room. All three were muttering about something too, she assumed it was Caroline's plan. "Hey guys." She said, causing all three to look up in surprise.

"Oh, hey Elena. We thought you were still upstairs." Matt said with a nervous voice, and quickly looked around to make sure no one else was there.

"Don't worry, we have been warned to not leave this room until summoned." Elena joked, causing the trio to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Good, because Caroline and Rebekah have been slave drivers all afternoon, I'd hate for it to be all for nothing." Matt commented, slouching into a chair.

"It couldn't have any worse than Kol. We spent almost two hours at the grocery store, it was the longest experience of my life. That food better be worth it." Jeremy informed them, leaning against the wall next to Matt.

"Certainly smells worth it." Matt commented, causing both the boys to laugh.

"Hey, can we talk in private in before the festivities start?" Bonnie asked Elena, coming up next to her.

"Of course." Elena said and allowed the witch to lead her out into one of the many living rooms. Elijah took the opportunity to go check on his siblings.

"What is different Elena?" Bonnie just straight out asked, scanning Elena up and down with her eyes, "Are you sure Esther didn't do anything to you?"

"Bonnie, I promise, Esther didn't do anything harmful to me." She promised her best friend, feeling a bit guilty about not being completely honest with the witch.

"I am not an idiot Elena. Something is different about you now, and it is more than just your relationship with Elijah." Bonnie said, her eyes still searching Elena, as if she looked long enough she would see the difference.

"You aren't wrong, something is different about me now, but you will learn what that something is at the same time as everyone else, after dinner." Elena informed the young witch with a pleasant smile.

"Why can't you just tell me now?" Bonnie asked, but she had seen that look in Elena's eyes before and she knew she wasn't going to get anywhere.

"Because it will be better if I do it all at once." Elena told her and then had a thought, "Are Stefan and Damon coming to dinner?"

Bonnie shifted uneasily on her feet before answering, "No. You have to understand Elena, it is hard for them. They are both very much in love with you and you are in love with someone else. Rather suddenly too, or at least it seems that way to us. My only suggestion is give them some time, maybe they will come around eventually."

"I guess you're right." Elena agreed, but she was still sad at the thought of the losing the friendship of the Salvatore brothers, "How is Alaric, I forgot to ask Elijah earlier."

"Sheriff Forbes has him locked up in the cell underneath the jail. Damon and I are working on some things to try and break the hold Esther has on him. We've managed to find a way to subdue the darkness in him for a few hours each day, but it is slow going. We are hoping that if we just spend enough time working through it that eventually the true Alaric will be able to take control again." Bonnie explained, it was actually the reason she had been able to get out of being caught up in the craziness that had been happening at the mansion all day.

"Can I go see him tomorrow?" Elena asked, she really wanted the old Alaric back, he played a large role in her life.

"I think we should discuss it more later." Bonnie said, smiling up at Elijah as he positioned himself behind Elena.

"They are now ready for the guest of honor." Elijah said seriously, but Bonnie and Elena could not help but crack a laugh at his tone.

"Well, we shall not keep them waiting." Elena replied with a giggle and the three of them walked into the dining room together.

* * *

Elena was amazed at how well everyone was getting along at the dinner, when Esther had taken her they had been a group of enemies, now they were a family. Kol had made the most delicious venison feast she had ever had, not that she would call the venison she had previously a feast. Caroline and Rebekah had gone all out with the decorating, both the dining room and the outdoor patio section had been designed with all of Elena's favorite colors and flowers. Elena was curious as to why they decorated everything so lavishly, or why they were all dressed for a party, when only their new form of a family was present. She had even asked that, and was given a vague reply of you'll find out later.

Elena smiled at the people around the table as the servants cleared the dessert away, she was going to have to get used to the idea of servants as well. Elijah had told her that they had multiple compelled but paid servants. There were just too many people living in the house now for them to keep up on all the chores by themselves, especially while they were busy looking for Esther. Caroline had made the condition though that they were not to be fed on, they may be compelled to not reveal secrets but they were not food.

Elena squeezed Elijah's hand under the table, and gave him a subtle nod. He smiled in returned and got to his feet, clearing his throat and getting all the mini conversations around the table to stop, "Elena has something she wishes to share with all of you."

Elena got to her feet, and noticed that the Originals and Caroline all had a smile on their face that said they knew what she was going to say, "First, thank you for this wonderful meal. Both the food and the company were magical." She said, smiling at each person in turn, "I have some news to share with you before the next, top secret part of the night begins. As you all know, while Caroline and I were in the past, we began relationships with the then human Klaus and Elijah." Elena bit her lip as she thought of saying her news, "And this is going to be a shock for all of you but I am pregnant." She paused as she took in first Jeremy, then Bonnie, and then Matt. It was strange of her to think that they were the only three at the table that didn't know of her news already. Elena allowed for the information to sink but before any of them could say anything she added, "There is more. Esther took me to the doctor this morning and they performed an ultrasound. I am pregnant with twins." This time the entire table let out a collective gasp and she enjoyed watching the myriad of emotions that played across the table.

Caroline was the first person to recover from the shock, she stood up and hugged Elena, not having to move much as they were sitting next to each other, "I am so happy for you, for you both. I look forward to spoiling these kids rotten."

Rebekah just smiled and hugged her brother, tears clouding her vision. Everyone else soon started following suit, hugging and giving their congratulations, all but one. Elena noticed that Jeremy slipped out of the room through the outside door. She was able to maneuver her way through the rest of her family and followed her brother. She followed him out into the yard, where there was garden and a bench. He sat down and started nervously wringing his hands. "Jeremy, are you alright?"

"Everything just keeps changing Elena." He whispered looking over at his sister who took a seat next to him, "Sometimes I wish that everything could just go back to how things were before we ever knew vampires even existed."

"Do you really wish that?" Elena asked, not even able to think about her different life would anymore, "If vampires never existed I would have died on that bridge with Mom and Dad."

"Of course I am not saying I wish you dead!" Jeremy passionately responded, "I just want our lives to be less complicated. But I can see now that it is never going to be."

"Jeremy, I wish there was something I…." She started to apologize, but he stopped her.

"Don't Elena." Jeremy snapped, turning to face his sister full on, "I am not blaming any of this on you. I think I will just need some time to adjust everything. I was not expecting you to share such intense news after dinner."

"Yeah, our family is going to be a little bit bigger now." She said with a smile and ran a hand over her stomach.

"I think it has grown already. And don't get me wrong, I am happy for you." He replied, nodding toward the house before saying, "Are you planning on being with Elijah….forever?"

Elena looked away from her brother before she answered, "We haven't talked about it and honestly, I've never wanted to be a vampire and I could never abandon my children."

"It wouldn't be abandonment Elena, and you don't have to become one right away." Jeremy tried to comfort her by squeezing her hand, "You never know how you will feel about it in the future."

"How about we just focus on the present right now?" Elena said, trying to get off of the subject.

"Yeah, let's get back to your party." He suggested, and stood up, holding his hand out to his sister, "I think it is time for the second part."

"Oh, do I finally get to know?" Elena asked, linking her arm through her brother's.

Jeremy was about to answer when the lights flooded the back yard and about twenty people that weren't there before started moving around the area, and she could see more coming out from the house and from around the side.

"This really is a party now, isn't it?" Elena asked rhetorically, smiling as people from school told her hello as they walked passed them.

"Jeremy!" A voice yelled, and the girl is belonged to stopped in front of them, "Elena? Jeremy didn't tell me you were back from your vacation."

"April? How, you've grown so much." Elena said, pulling the girl into a light hug. They separated and Elena said, "As for the vacation, I wanted my return to be a surprise."

"And that is was." Jeremy replied, removing himself from Elena to stand next to April. He glanced behind Elena and smiled at someone before saying, "Come on April, let's go get something to drink."

"Okay. It was great to see you Elena, we will have to catch up sometime soon." April said, slipping her hand into Jeremy's.

"I agree wholeheartedly." She said, and jumped in surprise as a hand touched her lower back and moved to cup just above her head.

"Sorry to frighten you." Elijah whispered as they watched the young, almost-couple walk away.

"You didn't frighten me, you just surprised me." She replied with a smile as she turned around to face him, "Did you have anything to do with this?"

"No, this was all my siblings." He said with a laugh as she cuddled up to his side.

"Well, I will need to thank them, because this has been the best homecoming I ever could have hoped for." Elena said and gave him a quick kiss before leading him into the party, she planned to enjoy as much peace as she could before their life turned to hell again.

* * *

Caroline sighed as fell onto the bed kicking her shoes off into the corner but decided to not even bother to try and remove her black dress. She just wanted to curl up against Klaus and sleep the rest of the morning away, the party had lasted much longer than she had expected it to.

"Not even going to remove the dress love?" Klaus asked as he closed the door to their bedroom, smiling at how her hair created a blonde moon around her head.

"Too tired." She said simply and then with a teasing smile added, "But you are more than welcome to help me with it."

"Think I might have to take you up on that offer." He replied, his smirk indicating that he would love to do nothing else. He quickly disposed on his own clothes and climbed into bed next to her, he ran his hand up her bare lower leg until he reached the hem of her dress. In one fluid movement Caroline lifted herself up and Klaus striped her of her dress, leaving her laid out before him in only her lacy bra and panties, "You are so beautiful." He whispered before capturing her lips. He slid his hands underneath her and unclasped her bra, she shrugged it off her shoulders, and he threw it away from them.

Caroline loved the feel of his skin on hers and moaned in pleasure as he started kissing his way down her body. His fingers skimmed down her sides and hooked over the last fabric keeping them apart. He slowly slipped them off her legs before he began kissing his way back up her body. His lips finally made it back to hers and she moaned in ecstasy as they joined completely.

* * *

The midday sunlight shone through the large window and bathed them in a warm glow. Caroline felt the arm that circled her waist tighten and she smiled as she snuggled deeper into his body. "Do we have to leave the bed today? With Elena back and safe, I feel like we deserve one day of relaxing."

"I have no arguments against that idea love." He said, giving her shoulder a kiss.

Caroline's mind began replaying all the events of yesterday and she turned around so she could face him, "What do you really think of Elena and Elijah having twins?"

"I am very happy for them, they deserve happiness and I think they will be great parents." Klaus answered, looking at her with confusion, "Are you not happy for them?"

"Of course I am." Caroline said with a resigned sigh, "I agree with you, they will be great parents, but what kind of life are those kids really going to have? Their entire family, with the exception of Jeremy, are vampires."

"We will protect them from everything and they will never have to worry about ever being alone." Klaus told her, his hand holding hers gently, "What is it that is really bothering you?"

Caroline didn't answer, didn't want to answer, so she turned back around, presenting him with her back. "Caroline, we made a deal. What about this is really bothering you? I know you love Elena and Elijah, so I know you will love these children. And I love you, so I know when there is something you are not telling me."

Carline let out a defeated sigh as she turned back around, "What I am thinking will make me seem like a horrible person."

Klaus let out a chuckle, and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, "Look who you are talking to sweetheart. Nothing you can say will make me think less of you."

"That is what you think." Caroline replied under her breath, but looked at her lover who she could tell was not going to take no for an answer, "I'm jealous."

"Jealous?" He asked, surprise and confusion lacing his tone, "Of Elena?"

"Yes. She gets to have it all now." Caroline explained, now that the words were out of her mouth she found she couldn't stop, "A man she loves and children with him. Everything a girl dreams of having when she grows up. And I can never have that." She saw his face fall and she quickly added, "I love you completely and will spend the rest of forever with you, but I also feel a loss at never being able to show our love with a little person that is a combination of us. And Elena gets to have two of those and gets to spend forever with the man she loves."

Klaus honestly had no idea what to say in return. He had honestly never even thought that she was going to say that. So, he said the only thing he could think of, "I'm sorry. I guess I can't really give you everything you want."

"I'm not saying any of this to make you feel guilty." Caroline said, moving to cup his face, suddenly feeling very guilty herself, "And I shouldn't have said anything."

"I want you to feel comfortable telling me anything love." He whispered, and then rotated so he was lying flat on his back, "Even if I don't like what you have to say."

"Can you honestly say that over the entire time you've known of Elijah's impending fatherhood that you've never thought about it?" Caroline asked, moving so she was sitting up looking down at him.

"Of course I haven't." He replied, mirroring her motion and sitting up, "I know that I will never be father, and honestly sweetheart, I am perfectly okay with that. I would be an awful father anyway."

"How can you say that?" Caroline asked, looking at him with concern.

"You saw firsthand how I grew up Caroline, you know what kind of man the centuries have made me. I am not qualified to be a father, I probably wasn't even when I was human." Klaus explained, feeling a strange tug on his emotions as he brought up things better left forgotten.

"And you know as well as I do that you are no longer that same man." Caroline tried to comfort him, but he just gave her an annoyed glare.

"Why are we even talking about this? We can never have children Caroline. Elijah's children are the most this family is ever going to have." Klaus snapped, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and throwing on some boxers before he walked to the window.

Caroline jumped off the bed, she was angry now and wasn't going to let him off the hook, "We are talking about it because you forced me to tell you what was on my mind!" She yelled at him, "And just because it is something you didn't want to hear you are acting like a dick!"

"Excuse me?" He asked, his voice low with anger as he turned to face her.

"You heard me!" Caroline replied, not backing down from his glare, "I wish you would stop thinking so low of yourself! All those things that Mikael told you your entire life are lies! There are people that love you! I love you. Your siblings love you. And those children are going to love you too."

"That isn't what we were talking about." He whispered, trying to keep his boiling anger in check.

"I am not an idiot, I know that we will never have children, and I have accepted that. But it also doesn't mean that I can't be a little upset about it. You've had a thousand years to come to terms with never having children, but I have been a vampire for just over a year. Plus, women are much more sensitive about these kinds of things. I bet Rebekah is in the same boat as I am right now." Caroline explained to him, trying to calm her own anger by lowering her volume from its previous point of loud yelling.

Klaus took a moment to think about her words, he wasn't even sure what they were fighting about anymore. It had started off about children and then it became about him, or that is what he thought. "I don't know what you want me to say." He answered after a few minutes of silence, his eyes locked with hers briefly before he looked away.

"I don't want you to say anything, I just need you to believe me when I say you are enough." Caroline told him, her voice tender and raw she closed the distance between them and tilted his downcast chin until their eyes meet, "I do truly love you."

"And I love you with all my being but there are things about me that are going to be harder than others to change." He informed her honestly, "And a thousand years of negative thoughts are going to be the hardest of all to change."

"Well, then I guess I will spend the next thousand years filling your head with only positive thoughts." She said with a smile and pressed her lips firmly to his.


	30. What Bonds Us

Elena looked up as she heard the door behind her open and smiled as Caroline walked into the room, "Oh, look who decided to join the rest of the world."

"Shut up." Caroline said with a laugh, flopping down on a couch as Elena continued to look through the large selection of books that lined the walls, "How did you like the party?"

Elena turned and joined her friend on the couch, "It was wonderful. I have no idea how you could pull something like that off in only a few hours."

"She had some help." Rebekah replied as she entered the room, Bonnie following not far behind, looking slightly confused.

"I never doubted she did Bekah." Elena said, smiling at the blonde Original as she took a seat in a chair nearby.

Bonnie also sat in chair and smiled at Elena before turning to Rebekah, "Okay, I followed you, what did you want to talk about?"

Rebekah put on her classic, innocent smirk, "Since I was denied our last chance at a girls meeting, I decided now would be the perfect time. I have told all the men of our household to not come into this room or call any of us for the next five hours unless it is an emergency."

"Five hours?" Bonnie asked, looking between her friends on the couch before looking back to Rebekah.

"Oh yes, I have a lot planned for us." Rebekah said, her smirk taking on a more devious quality. She stood up and walked to cabinet in the corner of the room, she grabbed four glasses and a bottle of something before walking back to the group. Rebekah filled each glass before handing them to each girl, "Don't worry, it is just sparkling cider, I know that Elena can't drink in her condition."

Caroline let out a tiny laugh before taking a sip of the chilled liquid, "What did you have in mind Bekah?"

Rebekah opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. She looked down before saying, "I actually have no idea, I have never really been good at this kind of thing."

Caroline nodded in understanding before saying, "How about you tell us how things are going with Matt?"

"Oh, you don't want to hear about that." Rebekah said shyly, taking a long drink of her non-alcoholic liquid.

"Of course we do. That is what girlfriends do, we chat about our men." Bonnie piped in, catching on that this was Rebekah's way of trying to become a member of their group, "Though I doubt you'll want to hear our details, we are all dating one of your brothers."

"That is such a strange thought." Elena suddenly said, laughing at the situation, "If it really works out we will be sisters."

"Oh, I think you and I are caught for life Elena. Bonnie is the wildcard." Caroline teased, turning her eyes of the witch.

"Hey, I thought we wanted to talk about Matt and Rebekah?" Bonnie replied, trying to shift the topic off of her and her complicated relationship with Kol.

"I like this topic, I have been wondering about you and my dear brother." Rebekah answered, looking at the witch expectantly.

Bonnie sighed and knew she wasn't going to get out of this, "I like Kol, a lot, but I just don't see a future with him. We have fun, a lot of fun, together and I love that I don't have to be secretive about any witchy stuff with him. The problem is, that I know that I never want to be a vampire, I like my powers too much. Plus, I do want kids someday, and that can't happen as long as I am with Kol."

"Have you talked to Kol about this?" Elena asked, inching a little closer to the sad witch.

"He knows how I feel." Bonnie replied, a small, forced smile on her lips, "And we have both agreed to enjoy whatever time it is we have left."

"Are you sure you are okay with that?" Rebekah asked, thinking about how similar she felt her relationship was to Bonnie's relationship.

"Yes, it was my idea." Bonnie responded, and then said, "Let's move on to you Rebekah, what is going on with Matt? You've been avoiding talking about it."

"Matt and I actually haven't talked about the future much at all. I would never ask him to become a vampire for me and I don't think he would ever ask me to turn him." Rebekah told the girls around her honestly, feeling her emotions start to grow, "I've just never felt like this before. I know that I have thought I've been in love before but it has never been like this in the past. I don't know what I'll do if in a few years he just leaves me."

"That isn't something you should start worrying about just yet." Caroline said, trying to comfort the Original, "Maybe Matt will come around."

"Guess only time will tell." Rebekah said cryptically, and finished her glass before saying, "I don't think we need to ask how you and Nik are doing?" Rebekah teased.

"Really Bekah?" Caroline replied blushing at the thought of them being able to hear them, "It is your brother!"

"And you two make it very hard to not overhear." She responded, laughing at the blonde across from her, "What were you two fighting about earlier? I could hear the anger but not the words."

"You and Klaus fight?" Elena asked, surprised, since whenever she saw them together they were super happy without any tension.

"They fight all the time, but they always make up." Rebekah said, rolling her eyes at what she was suggesting.

"We are two very stubborn, controlling people, of course we fight." Caroline replied and took a drink to avoid having to talk further.

"Come on Care, why don't you want to tell us?" Bonnie asked, knowing when Caroline was doing her best avoidance behavior.

"Because it was stupid and it is not important." Caroline said, an edge to her voice, "We talked it out and everything is good now, please stop pushing it."

"Okay, okay." Rebekah said, feeling a bit frightened at the glare she was receiving. But she could also tell that her new sister was upset, and decided she would figure it out later, when they were alone, "So, what are other things, besides talking about boys, that happen on a girls day?"

"Makeovers and romantic movies." Elena said, her eyes lighting up at the thought of doing something so normal.

"Yes!" Bonnie agreed, smiling in return.

* * *

Rebekah watched as first Bonnie and then Elena left the room, both claiming they had previous plans with their men. Rebekah could believe it, her brother's had their romantic streaks when they wanted.

"Hey Bekah, can I talk to you about something?" Caroline whispered when she heard the footsteps get far enough away.

"Of course you can." Rebekah replied, moving to sit next to Caroline on the couch.

"Are you jealous of Elena and Elijah?" She asked, deciding to just get straight to the point.

Rebekah thought long and hard before answering, she was ashamed of her true feelings but she also didn't think that Caroline would judge her. She took a long breath before saying, "Yes. I find it such a reminder that I can't have children of my own. Have you been feeling the same?"

Caroline nodded, "It was what Nik and I were fighting about this morning. He could tell I was upset about something and when I told him what it is, he just didn't understand."

"I think it is because he is a man. We were turned into vampires at an age, at least for me, that all the girls around me were having children. When I became a vampire, I accepted the fact that I would forever be unable to have children, that my family would never have children. Seeing Elijah actually getting to have not just one but two, it just makes me feel a jealousy that I have never felt before. I am happy for them, I love them both so much, but I can't stop also seeing it as a reminder of what I can never have." Rebekah explained her thoughts, feeling relieved to finally be able to say it aloud.

Caroline pulled Rebekah into a hug, tears slipping down her cheeks, and whispered, "I knew you would understand."

Rebekah felt tears of her own slip from her eyes and released her hold on Caroline, wiping away her tears, "Once, all I could think about was being human again, falling in love and having a family. It's strange, even if I was given a choice now, I don't think I would want to be human again."

"I don't think I would either, I love the person I became after I was turned. At first, I really didn't think I could handle it, but with Stefan's help, I really think I grew into the person I was always meant to be." Caroline told her new sister, feeling better now that she knew she could talk freely and not worry about hurting any feelings.

"I think it is funny that a vampire with almost no control over his own blood lust taught you how to control yours." Rebekah said with a laugh.

Caroline let out a giggle, and then said, "He didn't have it easy. I just didn't want to listen at first, I was so sure that I could handle everything. I almost killed Matt once when Stefan let me out of his sight, it is what broke us up the first time."

"Matt never told me that." Rebekah responded, thinking back on the conversations she had with him about it his past with Elena and Caroline.

Caroline looked away, guilt written on her face, "He doesn't remember it, he doesn't remember a lot of our relationship once I became a vampire. Matt was in the dark a long time when it came to all of this vampire and werewolf stuff. I think the secrets are what really pulled us apart."

"He told me it was because, at the time, he didn't want anything to do with vampires, he just wanted a normal life." Rebekah replied.

"Yeah, that's what he told me at the time." Caroline said, a small smile on her lips, "But it all worked out in the end. Now Matt is happy with you and I am happy with Nik. There is no point to digging up the past."

"I guess you're right." Rebekah said, looking away, her eyes suggesting that she was thinking hard on something.

"But?" Caroline said, nudging Rebekah with her shoulder, "I can see your wheels turning. Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"You're my best friend Caroline but it is hard talking to you about my relationship with Matt since you two used to be together." Rebekah confessed, feeling ashamed for bringing it up.

"Used to be, is the key part of that sentence. I love Matt, I do, but I am with Nik now, and will be for the rest of forever. But I can see the uncertainty in your eyes, you don't feel that way about Matt, do you?" Caroline asked, trying to catch on to Rebekah's train of thought.

"I do but I don't think he wants to. Lately, I feel like we are growing apart. There has been something different in our relationship for a few weeks now, but I decided to ignore the signs. I have just never been as happy as I am when I am with Matt, I don't want that to go away." Rebekah confessed, tears starting to cloud her vision again.

"Bekah, you can't force it. Sometimes, no matter how happy you are, things are just not meant to be. Have you talked to Matt about how you are feeling like he is pulling away? Maybe he is just as confused as you are, his relationships have never ended well either." Caroline said, trying to comfort her friend.

"I can't Care. Whenever this has happened in the past either he is compelled to forget me or dies." Rebekah said, shaking her head, "No, I will make this work out, I need it to work out."

Caroline sighed, wishing Rebekah wasn't so insecure but knowing she had a lot of reason to be, "Breaking up with Matt would not be the end of the world. You've survived for a thousand years, and yes, you've had your heart broken in the past, but that doesn't mean you can't survive one more. You never know, maybe the next guy will be the one and Matt is just the one that allows to get to him."

"I've been alive a thousand years Care, I am sick of waiting for the next guy, hoping he will be the one." Rebekah said in return, feeling anger swell in her chest.

"Look at your brothers Bekah. Nik and Elijah had to wait just as long, they've had just as much tragedy, even caused some of yours. They are now happy, and you will be too. Don't force things with Matt just because you are sick of being alone, that isn't really love. And there is someone out there that is meant to love you, maybe he just doesn't know it, or isn't alive yet." Caroline tried, knowing how hard it was to force a relationship to work when you knew it wasn't right, "You really do need to talk to Matt about this."

"I will, but not until after we take care of Esther. Matt is safer while he is under the protection of all of us." Rebekah told her, seeming very confident in her plan.

"That could be any amount of time from a few days to a few years." Caroline sighed, but knew she wasn't going to be able to get through to Rebekah once she had that look on her face.

"Please, let me deal with this in my own way." Rebekah asked, standing to her feet and walking toward the door.

"Bek…" She started to call after the girl but her phone started to ring. With a sigh of defeat, she answered the phone, "Hey Stefan, what's up?"

"I really need your help with something Care, can you come over please?" Stefan asked, his voice sounding like it was on the edge of breaking.

"Of course, I will see you soon." Caroline replied, putting the phone back in her pocket. She turned around and noticed that Rebekah had taken her distraction to leave the room. Caroline shook her head in disappointment but decided that Stefan needed her more than the Original at the moment.

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

Damon slid into his seat at Grill, his entire body feeling like it been repeatedly punched and all because his life was falling apart around him. His best friend wanted to kill him most of the time, the girl he loved was knocked up and wanted to be with someone else, and his brother was on the verge of another Ripper spree. He also couldn't forget that there was a crazy witch out there trying to destroy the whole vampire race.

"Drowning your sorrows?" A familiar voice asked, slipping to the seat next to him and ordering a drink.

He eyed her carefully before saying, "What are you doing here Katherine? I thought you wanted to stay as far away from Klaus as you possibly could."

"I was offered a truce, as long as I fully commit myself to helping end Esther, Klaus will forgive his vendetta against me." Katherine replied, her eyes roaming over Damon's body as she spoke, "How you are taking Elena and Elijah's impending parenthood?"

Damon just raised his glass and then downed it as his response.

"That good." Katherine commented with a smirk and sipped her down drink, "So, I was hoping you could offer me a place to stay while I was in town."

"Stay with the Originals and their groupies, I am sure there is still room in that mansion somewhere." Damon said as he ordered a new drink

"No thank you. Too many old lovers and people I hate are staying there." Katherine replied, "Besides, now that Elena is out of the picture, I was hoping you and I could have a little fun." She ran her hand up his arm suggestively as she spoke.

"What happened to 'It's always been Stefan'? Did he already turn you down?" Damon asked, trying to figure out what her scheme could possibly be.

"I'm off of Stefan. I want you." Katherine answered, her voice low, seductive, and confident.

Damon looked her over carefully, trying to find a flaw in what she was offering, he couldn't. He downed his drink, and watched as she did the same. Katherine had seen the acceptance in his eyes, and gave a huge smile as they walked out of the Grill.

* * *

Esther watched as Damon walked out of the Grill, she had been spying on the group ever since Elena's escape. She had thought of capturing whichever member she could get her hands on first, but changed her mind when she thought of how much easier her life would be for a few months without having to look over her shoulder. Esther smiled as she watched her daughter and Caroline walk into the Grill, Matt and Jeremy close behind. She thought it was cute how they only went out in small groups, with the exception of the Salvatore brothers. Though Stefan had been spending more time with Caroline as the last two weeks went on, she wondered what her son thought of that development.

Esther was planning on letting them think she had gone away, lull them to a false sense of security. She had to wait to strike until the babies were born, it was their blood, not Elena's that was required to do the spell she had in mind.

 _They all look so happy,_ she thought as she looked on as the two blonde girls had lunch _, and I will let them keep that happiness for now. They can have a few months of joy before their lives come to a violent, bloody end._


	31. Waiting for the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a lot of time jumping in the chapter but I hope that doesn't distract you too much

Klaus was still unsure that this was a good idea, it had been his suggestion, but he still wasn't thrilled about it. He was only going through with it because he could see how happy Caroline was about the thought of her mother and him actually getting along. He doubted that was ever going to happen, he had caused a lot of problems in the small amount of time he had been in Mystic Falls, and the sheriff was not a woman who seemed to forget things easily.

"Thank you again for doing this." Caroline whispered as they walked up to the front door of the house.

"I promised you we would, and so we are." Klaus replied, raising their joined hands to his lips and giving the back of hers a kiss, "Beside I thought you needed a pick me up after that business with Katerina."

"Oh, I so wish we had just killed her." Caroline responded, "But I guess Elena and Elijah had a point, that we need all the help we can get right now."

"Remember love, we only pardoned her for what she did five hundred years ago to me and Elijah. We never did forgive her for killing you." He reminded her, looking into her blue eyes, not ready to knock on the door just yet, "Once all of this Esther stuff is over, you and I will have a little revenge on Katerina for that."

"I feel like that is a loophole that Katherine will plan for somehow." Caroline pointed out, though she liked having the option to kill Katherine still open in the future.

"We will see." Klaus said with his signature smirk and knocked on the door, not sure if he and Caroline were just supposed to walk in or not, after all this was still Caroline's home.

The door opened and Liz smiled at them, "You guys didn't have to knock."

"I think he was trying to be polite." Caroline replied with a laugh and hugged her mom, "Thanks for having us over for dinner."

"I never get to see you anymore." She answered and gave Klaus a glare that left no question as to who she blamed for all that, and added, "Besides, I am sure you and Klaus could use a break from all the drama of your house. That is a lot of people to have under one roof."

"I would still feel better about it if you joined us." Caroline said, she had been trying unsuccessfully for a while now to get her mother to move into the mansion.

"I told you, I will not be forced out of my own home because of some entitled witch with a vendetta." Liz repeated to her daughter as the three of them moved to dining room, where salads had already been set up.

"The offer still remains." Klaus piped in, gliding Caroline into a chair before doing the same for Liz. The action caught the Sheriff off guard but she was gracious enough to just nod in thanks and accept the gesture.

Caroline giggled at her mom's face, "Sometimes his true age comes out with his actions." She teased, looking over at Klaus as he sat next to her.

"If I acted from my true age love, I would be walking around in furs, hacking people with giant axes, and doing a lot of sailing." Klaus pointed out, making fun of his Viking roots, "I'd say that the Renaissance really brought out the manners in people, the world became so much fun in that period."

"Really, why is that?" Liz asked, trying to not be shocked at how easily Klaus talked about his life. She had known that he was about a thousand years old, but it was strange to hear him talk about being a Viking.

"Well, the plague was finally over and people were starting to celebrate life again. I think it was mostly because all those alive were that way for a reason and wanted to cherish what little time they had left in the depressing world it had become." Klaus said as he picked at the salad on his plate, "We had spent the plague in England, and when it was finally dying down we left for France, and it was not a pretty sight. But, within a few decades all of Europe was going through such a regrowth. It really was something to see."

"Did you meet any of those famous painters? Like Michelangelo or DaVinci?" Liz asked, but had to get up before he could answer as the oven timer started going off.

Klaus waited until Liz was out of earshot before looking at Caroline, "How am I doing so far love?"

"Excellent, just avoid mentioning that you were also massacring entire towns during this period and I think we will do great." Caroline said with a smile, "I cannot wait until we can travel the world, you are going to be the best personal tour guide a girl could ask for."

"Of that I will make sure." He said and gave her a sweet kiss before Liz came back in, caring a meatloaf. She sliced off a piece for each of them before sitting back down, "This looks amazing Sheriff Forbes."

"Enough of that, call me Liz." She insisted, "Caroline has made it very clear that you around for good, so I don't see a reason for us to be so formal."

Klaus smiled, thinking he had finally made a good impression, and said, "Okay, Liz, to answer your question. I met both Michelangelo and DaVinci…."

* * *

**One Week Later**

"Hello there mate." Klaus said, slipping into the chair across the table from Stefan.

"Klaus, what are you doing here?" Stefan asked, looking behind him toward the door, he was supposed to be here meeting Caroline.

"Caroline told me she was coming to the Grill and I thought I would tag along. I had a meeting here with Kol and Elijah in a bit anyway, for brother bonding time Kol claims." Klaus informed the vampire he still considered a friend.

"You can't get that at your house?" He asked, still wondering as to where Caroline was.

"He wanted to get out of the house." Klaus replied, and smiled at someone behind Stefan, "But, I suppose I will let the two of you talk about whatever it is you keep stealing her away from me for."

"It's only for a few hours." Caroline commented, sitting in the chair between the two men, "I always return home to you."

"That you do." He confirmed, and kissed the back of her hand, "Well, I will let you two be and I will await my brothers at the bar. See you at home love." He said, standing up and bending down to give her a kiss.

"Have fun tonight, but not too much." Caroline warned as he walked away.

"I would never." Klaus said with a fake offended smile and a laugh.

Caroline just shook her head and looked at Stefan, "What is that look for?"

"I've just never seen him act like that before." Stefan told her, his eyes watching Klaus' back, fully aware that he could hear them if he chose to.

"I guess I am just used to it, it is how he always is with me." Caroline said with a shrug, "How are you feeling today?"

"Better. I was able to stop at one blood bag this morning, but I had to go kill a few animals before I could get the lust under control completely." Stefan informed her, proud of the progress he was making.

"That is wonderful. Hopefully soon you won't need to hedge the feeding with animals." Caroline replied, a huge smile on her face, "Is Damon being more helpful than he was before?"

"Damon is….distracted at the moment, so he hasn't had much to say on the subject either way." Stefan said, not sure how much she knew. Katherine had been back in town almost a week now, and he was sick of her always hanging around.

"So Katherine was able to weasel her way into his bed huh?" She asked, and shook her head, as if in disgust.

"Yeah, been a bit of torture on the ears. You knew she's been back in town?" Stefan asked, curious because he had avoided talking to Katherine whenever possible.

"Of course. I had to agree to her pardon, or so we are calling it. Nik, Elijah, Elena and I discussed it for a few days once some of Nik's hybrids were able to track her down and bring her in." Caroline explained, hating how that conversation had made her feel.

"I was surprised that Klaus agreed to it." Stefan admitted, noticing that Kol and Elijah had joined the Original at the bar.

"Elena and Elijah brought up some good points as to why we should keep her around, and alive." Caroline informed him, "Honestly, I was leading toward just killing the bitch. I am still bitter about being smothered to death."

"It shows how you are a good person for letting her off the hook for it." Stefan told her, always amazed how full of goodness Caroline was.

Caroline put on a smirk that Stefan couldn't place, but before he could question it, Caroline's phone went off. She looked at it confused for a second before picking it up to make a call, "Bekah, what was that text supposed to even mean? Do you need me to come home?"

"I am not at home. I can't stand to be there right now, it is too hurtful, I need to feed, and really feed." Rebekah answered, her voice sounding hurt and angry.

"Don't do anything you are going to regret Rebekah. Where are you? Let's talk about this." Caroline tried, already standing up and heading toward the door. Stefan decided to follow, hoping to be helpful if they needed to track down the blonde Original.

"I don't want to go home Care." Rebekah said, and she sounded on the verge of tears.

"We don't have to go home." Caroline answered.

"Go to my place. Damon and Katherine went to New York for the weekend to track down a witch that owes Katherine a favor." Stefan told her, knowing that Rebekah could hear him through the phone.

"How does that sound Bekah?" Caroline asked, hating the silence that she got in return.

"Okay." Rebekah answered, her voice low and whispered, "I'll see you there." She hung up the phone.

Caroline turned to Stefan, "Are you sure you are okay with this?"

"Yes, I want to be helpful, but what happened, why is she so upset?" Stefan asked as they got into Caroline's car.

"Matt and Rebekah got into a huge fight. She thinks they might have broken up." Caroline explained as she drove toward the Salvatore boarding house.

"Did she say what happened?" Stefan questioned, thinking that helping someone else with their problem would get his mind off his own.

"Just that they had a fight, that was all the text said. You heard the phone conversation, no new details there." Caroline sighed, wishing that life could just be simple and without drama for once, "Why is it impossible for everyone to be happy all at once?"

Stefan thought for a moment before saying, "Too many people with too many issues."

"And too many doppelgangers." Caroline teased, causing Stefan to crack a smile, "You know, I've met all three, and Elena is the only one worth anything. Maybe when this is all over Katherine and Damon can just run off and live happily ever after somewhere far, far away."

"I think I will leave too. There is just too much pain associated with Mystic Falls for me to want to stay." Stefan admitted, it was something he had been thinking about for a few weeks now.

"You can't leave Stefan!" Caroline exclaimed, "What I would do without you around?"

"I think you would be just fine Care." Stefan said with a laugh, "You have Klaus, Elena, Rebekah and the rest of the Original family, you don't need me."

"But I think you still need me." Caroline whispered as they pulled up in front of the house.

Stefan got out of the car without another word, Caroline slowly followed behind. She needed to not think about this right now, what she really needed to do was focus on Rebekah, help her get through this.

"Bekah, we're here!" Caroline called as she walked in the door, Stefan closed it behind her.

"In the study." She responded, and from the sound of it she was already on a second bottle.

Caroline and Stefan carefully walked into the room, neither really sure what to expect. Rebekah was sitting on the couch, mascara stains running down her cheeks from the tears, and a bottle of something in her hand. She turned to look at them, "Come to join me or stop me?"

"What happened?" Caroline asked, moving to sit on the table across from Rebekah.

"I'll be upstairs." Stefan said and moved to give the girls some alone time.

"No, stay Stefan." Rebekah called, her eyes moving briefly to him before going back to Caroline, "I couldn't take it anymore, the….staleness. So I confronted him about it. He said that he just doesn't see a future with us in it. That it has been fun and he loves me, but he just can't…." She couldn't finish as the tears started to flow again.

"Oh Bekah." Caroline said, moving to the couch and pulling Rebekah into her for a hug, resting the Original's head on her chest, "I'm so sorry."

Stefan wasn't sure what to do in this situation. He was good at comforting people, but he didn't know if he had the right to try with Rebekah. He was one of her heartbreaks after all, though that was really Klaus' fault and not his. But it was sure it would have happened eventually, he was a very different person in the 1920s. Lexi would have stopped his downward spiral at some point, even if he had been in a relationship with Rebekah.

"Can we not have a pity party please? I knew this could happen, guessed it would happen, it is what always happens when I fall in love." She sobbed, wishing she could be someone else, someone desirable.

"Hey Care, why don't you make some coffee? I think it could help." Stefan suggested, moving to the other side of the crying Rebekah.

"You're right. I will be back in a snap." She said, giving Rebekah a gentle pat on the back before flashing to the kitchen.

"Rebekah, please look at me." Stefan asked, gently squeezing one of her hands. Her eyes slowly drifted to his, "I did not leave you because I chose to, you know that. And I know I was not…receptive when you got out of your coffin. I want to apologize for how I acted and how I treated you."

"Stefan I didn't mean to suggest that…" Rebekah started to say.

"You didn't have to. I know that I hurt you Rebekah, and I am truly sorry for that." Stefan insisted.

"Thank you Stefan." Rebekah answered, seeing the guilt that Stefan needed to relieve himself of, "Though I think the person that truly needs to apologize is Nik."

"It wouldn't do any good, it was all so long ago. Besides, if things hadn't of happened that way, I might never have returned to Mystic Falls and Elena would have died on that bridge. Then Klaus never would have come here, and he would never have meet Caroline. And I see how different he is with her, and how much he needs her. Life has a funny way of showing us that it knows what it is doing." Stefan told her, holding her hand in comfort.

"I guess that is all true." Rebekah whispered, finally able to hold back the tears and gave the man in front of her a small smile.

"One day you will find that person you are truly meant to be with, of that I have no doubt." Stefan promised her, wiping off a stray tear on her cheek.

Caroline was watching silently from the doorway, a tray with three cups of coffee in her hands. She was enjoying watching the emotions they were sharing with each other, and it gave her an idea. It was way to keep Stefan with them and make Rebekah happy. It happened for them once before, why couldn't it happen for them again. She put on her best grin and stepped into the room, "The coffee has arrived."

* * *

**A Few Months Later**

Elijah ran his hand over her growing belly, still not completely believing that is was his children inside. This all just seemed so surreal to him still, "Have you been thinking about names at all?"

"I have been and I have a few suggestions. What about you?" Elena asked, putting down the book she had been reading.

"I have a feeling your ideas are better. Tell me what you have." He said, sitting up so he was leaning against the headboard next to her.

"Well, for the boy I was thinking Henrik Grayson, and for the girl I was thinking Miranda Jenna." Elena told him, they had found out the sexes the day before, "What do you think?"

Elijah was looking at her with amazement, "They are perfect, a way to remember those that we have lost that were important to us."

"You really like the names?" Elena asked, looking at him straight on, "Don't just agree because you think it will make me happy. These are your children too."

"I really do like the names." Elijah insisted and gave her a kiss, "What about the last name? We aren't married and I am not sure what the convention is nowadays."

"They will have your last name. Married or not, they are a part of your family and will share that history." Elena told him, she hadn't even thought that much of giving them the last name of Gilbert.

"It could be safer for them to be Gilberts, less chance of my enemies finding out about them." Elijah informed her, the safety of his children the most important thing in his life right now.

"They will be fine, you will always be able to protect them. Of that I have no doubt." Elena said, she had a lot of faith in Elijah, and wasn't afraid to point it out.

"Have you thought about what you want to do after they are born? Do you want them to grow up in Mystic Falls?" Elijah asked, the birth was now only two months away and he was getting more and more nervous as the day approached.

"I would love for them to grow up here, but I don't see how that would be possible. People would start to notice that you weren't aging, and I want you to be a full participant in their lives." Elena said, "We will just travel the world together I think. Between the two of us and your siblings, I am sure we will be able to home school them and give them a great education. Maybe we will bring them back here for their last few years of high school or something. It isn't like they will ever be able to have a normal life."

Elijah nodded and then after a few breaths of silence broached the subject he had been avoiding for months now, "What have you decided about becoming a vampire?"

Elena took a deep breath before saying, "I want to wait a few years. I am not ready to be a vampire yet Elijah."

"Whenever you are ready Elena, if you ever feel ready. I don't want you to feel pressured." Elijah told her and gave her a long kiss.

* * *

**One Month Later**

"How can we still not have found her?" Kol asked, frustrated as he looked at the people in the room with him, "The babies are due in a month."

"You think I don't know that Kol." Elijah snapped, even though the doctors said a month, they also said that sometimes twins liked to come early. He had never felt more on edge than he did right now.

"She is going to try and come after them." Caroline said, thinking aloud as she paced a short distance nearby, "Maybe we should leave before they are born. Go somewhere she can't find us."

"We can't run forever Caroline." Kol answered, and then looked at Nik, "You are sure your hybrids haven't found her?"

"Not a single sign. I am thinking that I should call them all back to Mystic Falls, have them here as an extra guard around the house." Nik said, grabbing Caroline around the waist and pulling her against him, her pacing was getting distracting.

"Probably a good idea." Rebekah piped in, "We will need the extra help."

"Damon and Katherine have had no luck with any of the witches they have visited over the last few months. All that agree to help are blocked by Esther before they get anywhere close to getting a location. They will be home tomorrow." Stefan informed them, he had become a more permanent fixture around the mansion lately. He didn't like being alone at the boarding house, so while Damon was gone he had taken up residence in one of the many bedrooms.

"Are we sure she won't go after Matt at his new school?" Caroline asked, she had been less than thrilled with the idea of letting Matt leave.

"She has no reason to go after him, Elena and the babies are here. She knows that no matter how important Matt may be to some us, that the babies are worth more." Kol told her again, looking sideways at Rebekah, but she seemed to be finally over the quarterback, "He'll be fine."

"I was just making sure." Caroline said, glaring at Kol, who rolled his eyes in response.

"How long do you think until after the babies are born until she attacks?" Elena asked from her place on the couch.

"Probably a few months, she won't want to wait too much longer." Klaus supplied, gripping Caroline a little tighter.

"Our biggest problem is going to be coming up with a way to keep Esther out of the mansion all together. She can probably harness enough power to knock all of you out, I will be Elena's and the babies last defense." Bonnie said, trying to get everyone back on focus, "I am not as strong as her, even if the spirits are on my side and not hers. She seems to have tapped into something stronger than them."

"It is probably, for the lack of a better name, the dark magic that she used to turn us into vampires in the first place. Going that far against nature requires a lot of power, and she made six vampires that night. It is why the doppelganger was created in the first place, as a side effect of all that power being released." Rebekah explained, wishing she could just figure out what her mother's plan could be.

"We just need to come up with a plan and hope it works." Jeremy said, his voice frustrated, "Let's just stop trying to find Esther, and just plan for when she finally comes to us. It will be a better use of all of our energies."

"I agree with Jeremy." Kol replied, "So, do you think we could figure out a way to make the house invitation only to humans as well as vampires?"

"Well, you could just sign the ownership of the house over to me or Elena, that would keep the vampires out. I will look and see if I can find a similar spell for humans." Bonnie said, her brain already thinking about which grimore she should start with.

"I will get the paperwork ready for tomorrow." Klaus said, pulling out his phone, and added before walking into another room, "I will also get the hybrids started on making a perimeter."

"Guess, we have a start of a plan." Caroline said, smiling encouragingly at Elena but not sure if it reached her eyes.


	32. Baby Talk

Elena let out a few deep breaths as she prepared to push herself off the couch, her large stomach made it difficult for her to move around. With a heave she managed to get on her feet and with a small smile she headed for the kitchen for some water and maybe a snack. She knew that Elijah, or any other member of the house would have gotten it for her, but she was sick of being treated like an invalid. There were still a few weeks until they the babies were due. After about five steps she stopped suddenly and felt moisture soak her legs. Her eyebrows lifted to her hairline and she screamed, "Elijah!"

Within seconds she was surrounded by concerned looking vampires and one terrified looking hybrid. Elijah came up to her first, unsure what was wrong, "What happened?"

"My water broke." She whispered with a breathless smile.

Caroline was quickest on the uptake, "Right. Nik, go get the car. Elijah you get Elena to the car. I will get the bag and call Meredith to let her know we are coming. Kol, call everyone and tell them to meet us at the hospital." She waited a moment and noticed that only Elijah had even moved, and he was doing it a snail's pace, "Now people we probably don't have all day." She commanded with a voice that made Nik and Kol jump before they flashed off to do their assigned duties. She gave Elena a little smirk and a giggle before racing off herself.

Elijah looped his arm around her large waist, "Can you walk or do you want me to carry you?"

"Let's start with walking and see where that gets us." Elena said, her breathing coming in controlled breaths because she didn't want to start freaking out, she was sure the Original men were doing enough of that for everyone.

* * *

Elena sat on the bed wincing in pain as each contraction hit, they were getting closer together and rapidly. She had been at the hospital for nearly six hours now, and was getting to the point of where she just wanted it over with. She tried to let her mind drift to the conversation that her girlfriends were having…

"I swear, I have never seen him look more terrified before." Caroline said with a laugh as she explained to Rebekah and Bonnie how Klaus had reacted, "And Kol looked like he was planning an exit strategy."

Bonnie and Rebekah laughed, before the latter said, "At first Stefan looked super scared and then he seemed really happy, in like a matter of seconds. But then you know he had to apologize to everyone in the Grill for how thrilled I became."

"I think it is funny how all of us women are super excited and all the men are freaking out in the hallway." Bonnie commented while laughing, "Because Jeremy's face when I picked him up at school was priceless."

"Just the way of nature I guess." Elena responded from her bed and smiled up at the door as it opened and Meredith walked in. She was the only doctor that any of them truly trusted.

"Okay, time to check and see how things are going." The doctor said with a smile as she checked to see how dilated Elena was, "Looks like you are ready, how far apart have the contractions been?"

"There are down to about a minute." Caroline supplied for her, the three of them had started to drift towards the door.

"Excellent." Meredith said and stood back up, "I think it is time for you ladies to leave and send Elijah in. These babies are ready to meet the world."

* * *

Elena let out another scream and Elijah bit down on his lip, her grip on his hand made him happy that he was a vampire, otherwise he was sure there would be bruises. The biting also helped with the large amount of blood that was associated with giving birth. He was over a thousand years old, he had marvelous control and could handle this but it still required some focus.

"One more push Elena." Meredith insisted.

"That is what you claim but there are two of them!" Elena yelled through gritted teeth as she breathed heavily. She let out another scream and gave a large push before falling back against the pillows with a sigh.

"It's a boy." Meredith told them and Elijah focused on her as she stood up and was holding a crying bundle, if it wasn't for Elena's death grip on his hand, he would have gone over to see his son. Meredith handed off the baby to a nurse, one that Elijah had personally compelled to help with this at Meredith's insistence.

Elena gripped his hand even harder as she let out another cry, not nearly as forceful as before, but it let him know that his other child wanted some attention as well.

"Okay Elena, just like before. Give one, big push." Meredith told the girl in front of her.

Elena nodded and gripped Elijah's hand as she let out a big scream and pushed as hard as she could. She fell back onto her pillows but quickly sat back up, she wasn't done yet, "Okay, maybe it was really two big pushes." Meredith tried to joke off as Elena repeated her previous process. Not noticing the glare that Elena sent her way.

Elijah knew when it was over, as a second set of screaming lungs filled the already loud room. "It's a girl." Meredith said with a smile as she got up and turned around to clean and wrap up the baby, just like the nurse had already done with the first one.

Elena panted as she smiled up at Elijah, tugging at his hand to get him to look down at her. He smiled as he took in her sweaty appearance and gave her a light kiss on the lips, "You did it."

"No, we did it." Elena replied and looked up as Meredith and the nurse approached.

"Who gets to hold who first?" Meredith asked, the smile on her lips showing her joy at the moment.

Elena closed her eyes and held out her arms, "Just give me one."

Elijah smiled at her inability to choose and followed suit, closing his eyes until he felt gentle hands place a bundle of cloth into his hands.

* * *

Klaus paced the hall with nerves; he had never really been around children. He had still been a child himself when all his younger siblings were born, and had not had much interaction with babies since then. His eyes drifted to his brother, sitting with his head low as Bonnie held his hand. And to Jeremy leaning heavily against the wall, the twirling ring on his finger the only indication that he was even still breathing. At least Klaus knew he wasn't the only one freaking out about the two new additions to their family.

A beautiful blonde with a smile stopped in front of him, "Can you please stop pacing? You are getting everyone on edge."

"I am on edge love." Klaus replied but stopped his movements, he would do anything for the woman in front of him.

"We've had this discussion before Nik, you will be great with the babies. The second you see them, they will become real and then you will love them." Caroline insisted, holding his hand in her own and rubbing small circles over it with her thumb.

"I am not good with children Caroline, and I don't think I could handle it if I hurt them." Klaus told the woman in front of him.

"You won't, I can promise you that." Caroline said and brought up her free hand to cup his cheek, "You just need to have the faith in you that I do."

All of their heads snapped up as the door opened and Meredith walked out. The smile on her face helped put everyone at ease, though all the vampires present could have heard everything if they had so decided, "They are beautiful and perfectly healthy."

"Can we go see them?" Rebekah asked, her hand wrapped in Stefan's as they got up from their chairs.

"Yes, but let's keep it to only a few of you..." Meredith started to suggest but stopped when Elijah appeared behind her.

"Don't be silly Doctor, come on in, all of you." He said with a smile and walked back into the room.

Meredith let out a sigh of defeat and walked down the hallway muttering to herself about vampires and against the rules. A nurse soon followed after her, looking slightly confused and out of it.

As everyone flooded into the room, Caroline noticed that the hand she was holding wasn't moving with her. She stopped and turned to look back at him, "Come on, it is time to meet the two newest Mikaelsons." Klaus just shook his head and started taking a few steps backwards before Caroline was able to stall him, "Niklaus Mikaelson stop backing away." The tone in her voice left him with little choice but to follow her demand, "You have been alive for over a thousand years, you are not going to be afraid of two babies that aren't even an hour old. They cannot harm you, nor will they want to. I will be with you every step of the way Nik."

Klaus slowly nodded at her words, he knew he was being silly and unreasonable. He knew that his niece and nephew posed no threat to him, but he was still afraid. He was afraid that at some point down the line, that they will learn of the horrible things he has done and be unable to forgive him for it. He had just gotten his siblings back but he wasn't sure how much longer that would last once the threat Esther had over them vanished. But the young blonde vampire holding his hand had promised to never leave him, and he was sure that as long as she was there, he would be just fine.

* * *

"I get to hold Miranda first." Rebekah demanded and took the little pink bundle from Elena, giving no one any time to protest, not that anyone was going to. She looked down at the silent baby and felt tears prick at her eyes. There was no way to determine any true resemblance to either Elena or Elijah yet, but Rebekah had a sense that she would take after her mother, "She is so beautiful."

Stefan came and looked over her shoulder at the baby, "That she is." He replied and used a finger to stroke the arm that worked its way out from the blanket, "So beautiful."

Jeremy had taken ahold of his nephew, cradling the baby boy in his arms, "I can't believe this is really happening." He muttered as he smiled at the wriggling baby, "I am an uncle."

Kol and Bonnie walked closer to Jeremy, peaking at the baby in his arms, "I get a feeling he is going to be just as handsome as all his uncles and his dad." Bonnie commented, looking sideways and giving Elijah a smile.

"One can only hope he takes after us." Kol joked, never taking his eyes off of the baby.

Jeremy shifted a bit and looked up at Kol before saying, "Would you like to hold him?"

Kol took a step backwards, "I wouldn't know what…"

"Just trust your instincts Kol." Elijah commented from his place next to Elena on her bed, he had faith in his youngest brother.

"You will be fine." Bonnie said and nodded at Jeremy to hand over the baby.

Jeremy smiled as he took the baby and gently placed him in Kol's arms, "Just cup him like this."

Kol nodded as his hands formed around the baby, amazement and love running through him as he looked at his nephew, "This is a day I never thought I'd see." He said and smiled at Bonnie, who couldn't help but smile back.

"You can't hog her Bekah, come on." Caroline's voice rang out as she tried to get Rebekah to hand over the baby girl.

Rebekah reluctantly placed the baby in Caroline's arms, whose smile was huge as she smiled at the little girl, "I've never seen a more perfect baby."

"You haven't seen the one I got yet." Kol joked and smiled up at the blonde across the room, his eyes drifted to his big brother behind her, "Lighten up Nik, they don't bite, not yet anyway."

"Not helping Kol." Bonnie whispered in his ear.

Caroline ignored him and turned around to look at Klaus, "Hold out your hands, time to face your fears."

Klaus seemed hesitant but he did as he was told, he was the Original Hybrid, he could handle holding a baby. Caroline carefully placed Miranda into his hands and he was amazed at how fragile she seemed. An instinct that he didn't know he even possessed caused him to silently swear that no one would ever harm his niece and nephew as long as he was alive. They were perfect and they were innocent, and he would keep them that way as long as he possibly could.

* * *

Elijah slipped into the bed next to the mother of his child, they had been able to convince Meredith to let them take the babies home and Elena was glad to be able to sleep in her own bed. She looked at the two bassinets at the foot of the bed that were holding her sleeping children and whispered, "I can't believe that they are really here."

"They are, Henrik Greyson and Miranda Jenna, our two little miracles." Elijah agreed and kissed Elena on the forehead, "You should try and get some sleep before they wake up again. You have to be exhausted."

"I am." Elena said, and her point was proven with yawn, she closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest. A few seconds later she suddenly shot up, "Can I have some of your blood?"

Elijah looked at her oddly, "What for? Are you not feeling alright?"

"I feel fine, but I was thinking…vampire blood heals right. I was thinking that maybe if I had some I could get rid of this baby weight faster." She said, and blushed, somewhat embarrassed for even bringing it up.

Elijah let out a small chuckle, "Who ever knew that you, Elena Gilbert, could be so vain."

"Hey, it was just a thought. I am going to be way too busy with the babies and worrying about Esther to have time to work it off the normal way." Elena tried to defend herself, but knew it was stupid.

"Elena, you look beautiful, you don't need any blood to stay that way." He assured her, but couldn't help the smile on his face anyway.

"Can't you please just indulge me? What would it hurt?" Elena said again, trying not to beg for something as stupid as this.

"Fine." Elijah said, he had some serious trouble being able to deny her anything, and bit into his wrist and presented it for her, "This is still ridiculous."

Elena smiled and sucked on the blood until the wound closed, she looked up at Elijah and gave him a toothy grin, "Thank you for humoring me."

"I would do anything for you Elena." He said and gave her a deep kiss, finding the taste of his own blood on her lips a little odd. He pulled back and said, "I promise you that keeping you and our children safe are all that is important to me. I never want to do something that you don't approve of."

"I don't want to the change the man you are Elijah. You are perfect just the way you are and I wouldn't love you if you were any different." Elena told the man whose arms surrounded her, and gave him another kiss, "Now, I believe you mentioned something about trying to sleep before our children awake."

"Yes, I do believe I did." He responded with a chuckle and turned to click off the light, but just before his fingers reached the switch, a cry came from the basket at the foot his bed.

"And so begins the rest of our life." Elena joked as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Elijah commented as he watched the woman he loved pick up their daughter and he picked up their son. And he couldn't help but think, that in that moment, his life was absolutely perfect.


	33. Beginning of the End

Elena smiled sweetly as she tucked her son into his crib, finally happy that he was sleeping through the night. Elijah was doing something similar next to her with their daughter. They smiled at each other before carefully leaving the room, trying not to wake their slumbering babies as they did.

In the hallway, with the door safely shut behind them, Elijah pulled Elena to his side as they walked toward the dining room downstairs, "I hope they keep up their new habit of sleeping all through the night." He whispered and kissed the top of her head.

"I am sure they will, it has been over a week now since they woke us up in the middle of the night." Elena said, her hand firmly holding onto the baby monitor, just in case she was wrong.

"I am surprised that my siblings were able to put up with it for so long." Elijah commented as they descended the steps.

"Those babies have all of our family wrapped around their little fingers, I don't think there is something they could ever do to upset them enough to leave." Elena joked, knowing that she wasn't far off the mark.

"I love how you consider them your family." Elijah told her, tilting her head to him to give her a long kiss before they entered the room where their family awaited.

"What else would they would be my love?" She asked, and knew that there was no answer to her question.

As they reached the bottom of the stair she saw Jeremy and April being let in by one the servants, "Hey Jer, I didn't know you were coming to dinner tonight. I would have kept the babies up a bit longer if I did." Elena said, pulling her brother into a hug.

"Its fine Elena, I will come by tomorrow and spend some time with them." Jeremy said as he released his sister, "Klaus called me this morning and told me to bring April along to a special dinner he was hosting tonight. He said that it was something that the entire family should be present for. I didn't realize I was considered a part of the family."

"Of course you are Jeremy. Elena is a full member of our family and that makes you one by association, as well as being an uncle to my children." Elijah informed the boy in front of him as he looped his arm around Elena's waist.

"I think its great how everyone is so accepting." April piped up, as Jeremy copied Elijah's action with her, "Even though Rebekah told me that things haven't always been that way."

"Yes, well. Large families have large problems." Elena commented, smiling at the girl that her brother loved.

"Yeah, and I bet a thousand years together only adds to it." April added, feeling truly included now that the secret of vampires had been shared with her. When Jeremy made it clear that he was staying with April for the long haul, they agreed that she would be safer if she knew everything. At the time Rebekah had still been involved with Matt, so she had been the vampire to explain everything to the young woman, with Matt and Jeremy helping. It had created a friendship between the blonde Original and the human girl that had survived the Matt/Rebekah breakup.

"Shall we go into the dining room?" Elijah suggested, motioning toward the door.

"Yes, I am very curious about what Klaus wants to tell us." Elena said, a smile on her face as she thought of the possibilities.

* * *

Kol watched as Bonnie slipped into a skin hugging blue dress, covering her skin from his eyes. He sighed and said, "I wish you would just come back to bed sweetheart."

"I don't know about you, but I am hungry. Plus, I am very curious about what your brother wants to tell us." Bonnie said, looking over her shoulder at him as she straightened her dress over her hips.

"I am sure it is nothing that important." Kol tried to argue, but he was also curious. It was not often that their family had a formal dinner. Due to all of their own lives they rarely ate dinner all at the same time, but Klaus had insisted on it tonight and wanted them dressed up as well.

"I don't know. He has had the dining room off limits all day and I haven't even seen Caroline." Bonnie told him, looking over his still naked body on the bed, "Can you please get dressed?"

"You weren't complaining about it ten minutes ago love." He said with a wink, but rose to dress anyway. She had succeeded in making him very interested about what his brother had planned.

"I barely remembered my name ten minutes ago." She scoffed under breath, loving her time with Kol more than she wanted to admit.

"But you screamed mine so perfectly." He teased and she threw the shoe she was planning to put on at him. Kol caught the shoe without any difficulty and gently handed it back to her, "Keep this spirit for later."

"You are impossible sometimes." Bonnie chided, but couldn't stop the grin that spread at the promise of tonight that fell from his lips.

"But you stay with me anyway." He informed her and turned his back on her to grab some pants from his closet.

 _Because I am so deeply and hopelessly in love with you_ , Bonnie thought, biting her lip as she did. The words were too dangerous for her to say aloud, or at least say them first. She often wondered how much longer she could keep her secret to herself, and if Kol even felt the same way. They never spoke of the future, only knowing that as long as Esther was a threat, that their relationship would go on.

Bonnie smiled as they walked hand in hand to the dining room, selfishly wishing that Esther would never be found. But Bonnie knew that for all of them to be truly safe, Esther needed to be stopped and the sooner, the better.

* * *

"Bekah, what are you so worried about?" Stefan asked, watching the Original pace back and forth.

"I am worried about what I am always worried about Stefan. With each passing day the feeling of unease grows in my gut. We missed something Stefan, I know we did." Rebkeah said, finally stopping her pacing and sitting down on the bed next to him.

"We did not miss anything." Stefan assured, gripping her hand and enclosing it in both of his, "There is no way for Esther to get into this house. Bonnie's spell will work with her, just like it did when we tested it on Liz."

"Liz is not a witch. She is a small town sheriff with too much involvement with the supernatural. Just because a spell works on a normal person does not mean it will work on someone with my mother's power." Rebekah insisted, just like she had been for months. She was convinced that they were putting too much faith in Bonnie's witchcraft and underestimating their mother's at the same time.

Stefan sighed, he had this argument with Rebekah almost every day for the last three months, and he was getting tired of it. He made her lock eyes with him, "Rebekah, I love you but you need to stop with this. If Esther was going to try something, I think she would have done it by now."

Rebekah blinked her eyes with surprise and studied Stefan carefully, trying to connect a lie with his words, "What did you just say?"

Stefan smiled at her, and repeated, "I love you Rebekah Mikaelson."

Rebekah felt her eyes start to glisten and couldn't stop the large smile that spread across her face. She instantly leaned forward and pulled Stefan into a long kiss. When they finally separated Rebekah said, "I love you too Stefan Salvatore."

Stefan captured her lips for another kiss but stalled her hands when she tried to move on to another activity, "Later, I promise. We can't be late for your brother's announcement."

"He can just tell us later, if it was something really important it wouldn't need to be told to us at dinner." Rebekah tried but sighed when Stefan dodged her kiss, "Fine, but you better not disappoint me Mr. Salvatore."

"I would never dream of it Miss Mikaelson." He promised her, holding her tightly to his side as the left their room and headed toward the dining room.

Rebekah smiled as his hand circled her waist. Two months ago they had officially become a couple, not just two people seeking comfort in another person. It had begun as nothing more but heartfelt talks and eventually led to sex, but today was the Rebekah was sure she would always remember as the day that her life with Stefan truly began. And she knew that she owed it to the young blonde vampire that wormed her way so completely into the Original family.

* * *

Klaus paced impatiently as he looked around the redecorated dining room. He had needed to make sure that everything was perfect. Her favorite flowers filled the space, almost suffocating him in the scent, but he didn't mind. Candles had been lit to add a sense of romance to the large room and bottles of champagne were chilling in buckets on the table. Klaus moved to the terrace, where the true magic would happen.

The arch that stood above him glowed with the tiny lights that stood out from the flowering vines that enclosed it. It cast an almost other worldly glow onto him. He reached his hand into his pocket, making sure that his surprise was still inside. Klaus was sure that this was the most nervous he had ever been in his entire life, for this would be the day that decided his entire future.

Klaus' head snapped back to the inside room when he heard the door open, it was the first time he had unlocked it all day. He was too worried about his surprise getting out for him to share his plan with anyone but his hybrids, who had helped him decorate, and Liz.

"Klaus, what is this?" Elena asked, her eyes shimmering as she took in the lavish decorations that now surrounded her.

He didn't answer right away as he heard the rest of their family slowly started to near the room, "It will be easier if I explain it all at once." He replied and watched as the room filled with the couples. Once everyone was in the room he said, "I plan to purpose to Caroline tonight, and I wanted our entire family to be present when I did."

* * *

Caroline was happy to spend the day with her mother, but she could tell that something was going on. Her mother couldn't stop giving her tear filled smiles and insisting that this would be a day to remember. She was even more suspicious when they both dressed up in gorgeous gowns, something much too fancy for a simple dinner at the mansion with the entire family. But her mother had insisted and said that Klaus had picked out her dress especially. It was a beautiful strapless red dress with a full, draped skirt and a bedded hem around the bodice. It was so simple, but Caroline thought it was perfect. She added to it the bracelet he had given her on her birthday, that she had thrown back at him, but he had returned it to her that first morning she was back. Over the nine months he had given her many more beautiful pieces of jewelry, and a range of it was made available for her to go with the dress.

Caroline knew that her boyfriend was up to something, she just didn't know what it was. She was a person to love surprises though, and she could tell he had put a lot of thought into this day. The dress, jewelry and the secrecy made that clear but she would play along for all that it was worth.

"Mom, why are we going around the back?" Caroline asked as her mom led her to the side of the house after she had parked her car.

"Klaus as a surprise for you sweetheart but I am sure you figured that out already." Liz said simply and pulled a scarf out of her purse, "Turn around, I have to put this on you."

"Seriously? A blindfold, this is just getting silly." Caroline protested but moved to give her mother access. A smile growing on her face at the thought of this surprise, something like this must have taken him a long time to plan.

As her Liz led her daughter along the lit path to the backyard, she couldn't stop the tears that started to crawl down her cheeks.

"Mom, why are you crying?" Caroline asked, squeezing her mother's hand as they continued to walk. Caroline could hear her trying to keep the tears at bay, but could smell their saltiness as she failed.

"You'll see." Liz whispered and smiled as she saw Klaus standing under a beautiful arch.

He walked the few more feet to them and gently took Caroline's hand from Liz, the moment watched by the entire, extended Mikaelson family from the terrace. Liz gave him a pleasant smile and went to stand with the others. Elena took Liz's hands and together the two watched with clenched hands and wet eyes as Klaus led Caroline under the arch.

"Nik, what is going on?" Caroline asked, her mouth smiling and her voice laughing as he stopped them.

Klaus carefully untied the scarf and watched as her eyes took in the lavish arch and her gathered family, the women all crying. She looked back at him and their joined hands and asked, "What is this?"

Klaus took a deep breath and said, "A little over a thousand years ago on this day, you told me for the first time that you would love me now, and forever. At the time I did not truly now how those words would change my life, but changed me you have Caroline. And I think everyone here would agree that you have changed me for the better." Klaus said, never taking his eyes off of Caroline's. He slowly sunk to one knee and pulled the ring out of his pocket, keeping her left hand firmly in his, "Caroline Forbes, on this day I wish to ask you to marry me. Make me the happiest man on this planet, for now and forever."

Caroline looked at him with shock, never in her wildest dreams did she ever think that he would purpose marriage. She felt her lips turn into an even larger smile as she finally managed to whisper with a chocked voice, "Yes, now and forever."

Klaus' smile grew huge as he slipped the ring onto her finger and kissed her, lifting her up into a large twirl as he did so. The audience clapped and cheered as he spun her, wishing he never had to let go of the angel in his arms. He set her down and with a final quick kiss they turned to look at their family, all of them smiling at the couple standing under the arch. None could have asked for a more perfect proposal.

* * *

Esther watched the proposal with disdain, it was beautifully done, she would give her son that, but he did not deserve the happiness that flooded his features. None of them deserved the joy they were feeling, but she knew it would be short lived. With all of them so distracted it gave her the perfect chance.

It had been too easy to bypass the witches spell really. All she needed to do was sacrifice one of their human servants and then take on that person's appearance, holding their soul to her body through an amulet. She had been hiding out in the house unknown to her children for two days now, none the wiser because they all paid every little attention to their help most of the time.

Esther carefully ascended the stairs and walked down the long hallway to the farthest rooms of the mansion, giving Elena, Elijah and the babies privacy from the rest of the house. Which she was sure many of them had been grateful of the last few months.

She stopped in front of the door to the nursery and used magic to make sure the door made no noise as it swung slowly open. Esther paused in between the two cribs. She took a look at her granddaughter first, knowing that the chance was high that this would be the last time she ever saw the child. Esther smiled at the beauty the young baby already held, she could so much more of Elena in her features than Elijah, but that could always change with time. Esther glanced at the picture that hung on the wall above the crib, it was a large detailed etching of her name, Miranda Jenna. Esther rolled her eyes at the name but guessed as long as it wasn't said aloud too much, that it wasn't so bad.

Esther switched her eyes to the etching above the second bed, Henrik Grayson. The name of her youngest son so beautifully spelled out brought a tear to her eye, but she quickly rid herself of it, now was not the time to get sentimental. Careful to not wake him, she gently lifted her grandson into her arms. Using magic again to dull her noises, she snuck them out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Esther smiled as she walked confidently through the mansion, and made her escape out a side door, never seeing another soul as she did. Her only problem came as she approached the edge of the property.

"What are you doing here?" A rough voice demanded, and one of Klaus' hybrids stepped out of the shadows, his eyes glowing yellow in the darkness, "Where are you taking the baby?" She could hear the anger in the man's voice.

"I don't feel like answering either of those questions." She replied and shot a jolt magic so quick into his system he didn't have a chance to scream before he passed out from the pain.

Esther didn't bother to truly kill him, he would be out for a few hours and that was all she needed to complete her plan. The dinner they were currently enjoying would be the last moment of happiness her children would ever experience, she was going to make sure of it.

* * *

Esther carefully placed the candle around the body on the table in front of her as she prepared to complete the final part of her plan. She wished that she could just fully do her resurrection, but that required the body of the soul she was bringing back, and that was now a pile of ash. The boy in front of her was strong, and would have to do. His sacrifice would ensure the end of the vampire race.

A soft cry from the basket in the corner got her attention and she smiled at her grandson, who was finally awake, "Hello little Henrik, I am your grandmother." She said gently, lifting him up into her arms.

Her kind words did nothing to soothe the baby and he started to cry out even more. His little legs kicking against the unfamiliar woman that held him.

"All will be over soon." She told the infant in her arms and put him back in the basket, timing was everything with this spell, and luckily see needed the new moon, and not the full for this spell. It gave her children even less of an idea of what she would need the child for. Esther took a syringe and gently drew some of her grandson's blood, a knife would be too harsh for such a tiny being. The needle piercing his skin did nothing to calm the baby.

Esther took the blood and poured it into the bowl that rested next to the body's head. She looked up into the sky light and noticed that the dark circle that was the moon was perfectly overheard. With a deep breath she began to chant, sprinkling herbs into the blood and watching as it started to boil. Her chanting became louder, as did the cries of the baby behind her, as the wind picked up in the room.

Esther stopped her words as the boiled blood settled back down and she poured it into the mouth of the unconscious man before her. The wind died down and Esther held her breath as she waited to see if her spell was correct.

The fingers of the man became to twitch and his tongue licked his lips, savoring the blood still there. The eyes slowly flickered open and they locked with hers.

"What is this?" He asked as he moved to sit up and looked at the woman in front of her, not fully understanding what was happening.

"I brought you back to finish what we started my love." She said and smiled at the boy that now housed the soul of her husband.

"Whose body I am in?" Mikael questioned, looking at his hands carefully.

"Tyler Lockwood. The first hybrid that Niklaus was able to successfully make, the strength that comes from this will help you greatly when you kill our children. The only problem being, that you must save Niklaus for last. If you kill him, then the body you are in will die as well." Esther explained as she watched Mikael walk around the room, getting used to having a body again after so long.

"Will I be able to use this body to gain access to them? Or will they be suspicious of him?" Mikael asked, turning to look at his wife.

"He has been out of the picture for nearly nine months, but with a good enough story I am sure he will be accepted after a while. I can tell you things to get you in, the rest will be up to you my love." She informed him, and smiled as him as he moved closer to her.

"It is very good to see you again after so many years, especially when we did not leave things with a happy gesture." Mikael told her, he was still not used to the voice that reached his ears.

"I could not agree more." Esther said and leaned to share a kiss with her husband, even if he was not his in proper body.

A cry stopped their lips from meeting, and Mikael looked at her with confusion before walking over to the basket from which the noise escaped, "Who is this?"

Esther picked the baby up into her arms, and responded, "This is Henrik Grayson, our grandson." She said and held out the baby for him to take.

Mikael carefully moved his hands to cup the baby in his arms, "A grandson?" He asked as he smiled at the child in his arms, who was looking at him with tear filled eyes.

"There is much to inform you about." Esther said, smiling at the success of her plans and looking forward to the future.


	34. Unforseen Problems

Caroline was surprised they were actually able to make it to the bedroom with all of their clothes still on. Klaus threw her onto the bed before climbing in after her, his jacket, tie and dress shirt already on the floor just inside their room. His lips found hers hungrily and she was delighted at the need that she found settling inside of her as they kissed. Their hands made quick of removing the clothing they both had on. It wasn't long before Caroline completely forgot every worry that had ever flickered across her mind and all she could think about was the pleasure that her fiancé was wringing from her body.

Klaus smiled breathlessly as he lifted up her left hand and he rubbed his thumb over the diamond on her ring finger, "It almost doesn't seem real."

"I never thought you would want to get married." Caroline whispered smiling at the gesture he was doing.

"Honestly, the thought had never crossed my mind before I remembered loving you. My human-self wanted to marry the human Caroline, and even the vampire Caroline. And I couldn't find any logical reason as to why not do it now. People in love get married, and there is no one in the world that I love more than you." He explained and gave her a sweet kiss before leaning back against his pillow.

"Were you nervous?" She asked, turning on her side so she was curled up against him, but he never released her hand as she moved.

"Yes. I think a part of me still believes that I don't deserve you and that you will eventually leave me. I was told for most of my life that no one would ever love me." Klaus admitted, they kept no secrets from each other plus she knew all of this already.

"If Mikael wasn't dead I would kill him for what he has done to you." Caroline said, her voice full of spite, "No one should make another person go through the hell you've had to live with because of your own father."

Klaus gave a chuckle at her anger, "Well, I got the last laugh in the end love." He said and gave her a kiss, "Not only did I drive that stake through his heart but I now I get to spend forever with the most beautiful, loving woman in the world."

Caroline smiled at his optimism, glad that it was coming out more and more lately, even if Esther was still on the most wanted list. Caroline thought it had do with the babies, he was so sweet with them, and they gave all of them hope for the future. She rested her head on his chest, "Your proposal was beautiful by the way. I couldn't have asked for anything better."

"I am glad you thought so." Klaus said, tightening his hold on her waist, "I wasn't sure right away if I wanted everyone to witness it."

Caroline moved so she could look up into his face, "It was great to have everyone there, it somehow made the moment even more personal."

Klaus laughed again, "Yeah, just us and nine other people."

"The perfect nine people, the only members of our family missing were Henrik and Miranda." Caroline assured him, a sweet smile on her face.

"Babies need their beauty sleep." Klaus informed her, trying to remain serious but cracking a smile anyway, "As do newly engaged blonde vampires."

"Oh, is that…" Caroline started to tease when a scream interrupted her.

In an instant both of them had slipped into some clothes and were speeding off toward the scream that had come from the nursery. Both afraid to see what they would find when they arrived.

* * *

Elena giggled as Elijah pulled her flush against him, and she felt someone flash by them as they walked up the stairs, "I am actually surprised they even waited this long."

"As am I. A part of me wasn't even expecting them to make it through dinner, let alone an hour of drinks after." Elijah agreed, smiling at the thought of Niklaus getting married, something he never would have imagined possible at this time last year.

"The proposal really was beautifully done." Elena commented opening the door to their bedroom, causing Elijah to jump from his thoughts on the past.

"Yes, I am rather impressed that he could pull something like that off without any help. I never knew that behind his angry exterior that my brother was hiding such a romantic attitude." Elijah informed her, unzipping the back of her dress and kissing her between the shoulder blades.

Elena let out a small moan of pleasure but turned around, "We should check on the babies first."

"Then why did we come in here?" Elijah asked, raising an eyebrow at the nearly naked woman in front of him as she let her dress pool at her feet, leaving her in only a bra and panties. She looked wonderful, she had put a lot of effort into dropping her baby weight and had developed some muscles in the process, causing her body to be near perfect perfection.

"I wanted to change." She answered simply and slipped into a silk nightgown before throwing her robe over the top of it. Elena turned to see Elijah watching her with lust filled eyes, she walked up to him and pulled him into a deep kiss, "After we check on them, I promise to let you ravish me all night."

Elijah moaned as she pulled away but responded with, "Then why are we still standing here?" His mouth up ticked into a grin as he playfully patted her butt to get her moving.

"So eager Mr. Mikaelson." Elena teased as she walked across the hall.

"I have a lot to be eager for Miss Gilbert." He replied and opened the door for them into their children's nursery.

Elena just grinned and headed straight for the cribs as Elijah flipped on a small side lamp for her to see with, but hopefully not enough to wake the babies. That didn't seem to be a problem though, because no noises were associated with the change in the room. Elijah let out a small sigh of relief before he stood up straighter, something was wrong.

Elena approached the cribs from the space in between both, first glancing in to see her beautiful daughter asleep peacefully. She then turned to look at her sons and let out an ear piercing scream, causing Miranda to wake up and immediately join in.

* * *

Kol, Rebekah, and Stefan all snapped their heads up at the scream that escaped Elena's lips. Bonnie looked at the three vampires with worry, "What is wrong?"

"Come on." Kol said, lifting Bonnie into his arms as they raced to the nursery. The four of them had been playing a game of pool in a game room Kol insisted be installed if they were going to be stuck in the house so much.

Rebekah and Stefan flashed into the nursery, while Kol carefully set Bonnie down just outside the door before they walked in. Elena was curled up crying into Caroline's chest as the two women sat on the floor. Elijah was rocking his daughter back and forth trying to calm her down while Klaus screamed into his phone.

"What happened?" Stefan asked, looking between the four people in front of him.

"Henrik is gone." Elijah spat out, "Esther somehow figured out a way to get in here and take him."

"Then bring his damn body here and I will wake him up!" Klaus yelled into his phone before looking over at his brother. Stefan could see how Klaus was forcing his voice to be calm as he said, "Nate found Dean unconscious on the edge of the property. Someone gave his a brain good pounding, since he has blood stains round his ears. They are bringing him in now, hopefully Bonnie here can wake him up and we can get some answers."

"I thought you said that no one we didn't invite personally could enter the house?" Elena tear soaked voice asked as she looked up at the witch.

Bonnie fought back her own tears that were threatening to spill when she said, "Esther must have found a way around the spell, but I don't know how."

"My son is gone Bonnie! You were supposed to make sure that didn't happen!" Elena yelled before she once again collapsed into Caroline, hanging on to the blonde vampire for dear life.

Kol put his arm around Bonnie's waist and pulled her to him, her tears falling as she cried into his chest, but he couldn't think of any comforting words. He knew nothing he could say would make Elena's words any less harsh or any less true.

"Shouldn't we go look for him instead of just standing around here all day?" Rebekah asked, her voice irritated at the complete lack of movement she saw from those in front of her.

"Where do you suggest we start looking Bekah?" Klaus asked, his tone angry.

"Klaus." A voice said from the doorway, all looked up to see two hybrids standing there, one looked like he had better days.

"Well?" Klaus asked, looking at the broken one, "What happened Dean?"

"I am not exactly sure." He said, and pushed his friend away so he could stand on his own, "I saw a woman walking off the property, so I confronted her. When I noticed she was carrying on of the babies, she used some sort of magic on me. There was searing pain in my head for a few seconds and then I was gone. I woke up as Nate and Chris were bringing me here."

"What did she look like? Was it my mother?" Klaus questioned, taking a threatening step toward the man in front of him.

"No, at least it didn't look like her. It was one of the human servants, I have seen her around for months." Dean explained, looking Klaus carefully in the eye as he awaited his punishment, he was fully expecting to die for his failure.

"Which servant?" He asked, keeping his voice low and dangerous.

"Abby Anderson, I think she is one of the housekeepers." Dean replied, trying to keep his breathing regular as he feared for his life.

Klaus thought hard and then looked at Dean and Nate, "Don't just stand there. Bring her to me."

Both Dean and Nate had equal looks of shock on their faces, but they didn't need to be told twice and took off running to gather a few more hands before searching for the maid.

Klaus turned around and looked at the amazed faces of all of those in the room, everyone had expected him to kill the hybrid. Caroline smiled sweetly at him, and he could see the pride in her eyes at his kindness.

Rebekah's phone going off distracted everyone from their thoughts, "Hello?"

"Bekah! Thank god!" They heard April's voice exclaim in a relieved response.

* * *

"That was not what I was expecting to happen tonight." April commented as Jeremy led her up the steps to her front door.

"I don't think anyone was expecting that." Jeremy replied with a laugh, squeezing April's hand as they stopped in front of the door, "Caroline's face was priceless."

"I agree. I don't think I've ever seen someone look so lovingly at another person before. It really does make all of your stories about Nik seem a little less plausible you know. No one that evil could ever come up with something as magical as that proposal." April told him as she dug through her purse for her keys.

"Yes, well _Nik_ has not always been so Nik-like." Jeremy replied, putting an emphasis on the nickname that April had picked up from spending too much time with Rebekah and Caroline.

"I will just have to take your word for it." April said and unlocked her door, before turning to Jeremy with a shy smile, "Want to come in? My dad got called out of town for a few days."

"Are you trying to ask me to stay the night?" Jeremy teased, already taking a few steps closer to the door.

"That depends on the answer." April joked and walked into the house leaving the door open behind her.

"Didn't anyone ever warn you about inviting people into your house?" Jeremy joked as he closed the door behind him, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it on a hook before taking a few more steps toward his girlfriend.

"I thought you were worth the risk." She replied and leaned up to place a slow kiss on his lips.

Jeremy wrapped his hands around her waist but jumped away when there was a loud banging on the door. He instinctively pulled April behind him and looked at the door, but nothing happened. He cocked his head to the side, "Do you hear that?"

"It sounds like a baby crying." April answered, and they both rushed to the door.

Jeremy ripped the door open and gasped as he saw his little nephew crying in a basket on April's doorstep. "Call Elena." He told her as he picked up the basket, bringing it and the baby inside the house. Jeremy carefully put the basket down and picked up Henrik, cradling him in his arms, "Shhh. It is okay, I got you." The soothing tone of Jeremy's familiar voice helped to calm the baby down.

"Elena didn't answer. I'll try Rebekah." April explained as she pushed a different button on her phone.

"Bekah! Thank god." April said, "You…." April was interrupted, "That is…." April got an annoyed scowl on her face and yelled, "Rebekah! Henrik is here! Someone dropped him off at my doorstep after Jeremy and I got here." Another pause and April relaxed, "Of course. We are on our way."

"They want us to go to them? Did Rebekah say what happened?" Jeremy asked, not bothering to grab his jacket as they headed back out to the car, he wasn't going to put Henrik anywhere but into his parent's arms.

"Yes to the first, no to the second. I guess they will explain when we get there." April said, looking around nervously as they got into the car, "I wonder why whoever took him gave him to us?"

"Maybe they couldn't get back into the mansion." Jeremy supplied as he secured himself in the passenger seat of his own car.

"I guess." April replied, but she wasn't sure if she believed it or not.

"Let's worry about that when we get there. Elena and Elijah need to see that their son is okay." Jeremy told her, and she gently eased out of her driveway, not seeing the figure hiding in the shadow of her house.

* * *

Mikael watched the humans drive away with his grandson, he had been hoping that Elijah would come and fetch his son, but he just shrugged off the change of plans. It just meant he had to wait another week or so to start the destruction of his children. He had decided that Tyler showing up out of the blue after being gone for 9 months right after this had happened would be too much of a coincidence. He may not like his children, but he would never call them idiots, they had managed to avoid him for a thousand years.

He slowly stalked back into the shadows behind the Young house, his mind already starting to come up with ways to get his new body into the protective fold his children had created. Maybe his wife would have some good ideas. Timing was everything when it came to making sure a plan was successful. That is where he went wrong the last time, he had moved too quickly and with people he couldn't trust. And it had cost him his life, he would not make the same mistake again.

* * *

Jeremy cradled his nephew closely as he got out of the car in front of the mansion. He took about two steps when there was suddenly a body in front of him. He jumped back a step in surprise but easily relaxed as he handed the baby off to its father. Jeremy was sure he had never seen someone look so relieved in his entire life. His eyes drifted to the doorway as he watched Elijah flash back inside. April's hand curled into his and they walked quickly into the house.

Everyone had moved from the nursery to a large family room on the second floor, Jeremy and April took their places on an empty couch. The one across from them held Elena, crying gently as she rocked her newly returned son back and forth. Elijah was leaning over the back behind her, watching Elena with careful eyes. Caroline was on the couch next to Elena, a sleeping Miranda secured in her arms.

Klaus, Stefan and Rebekah were having some sort of disagreement over by the large windows that gave a beautiful view of the back gardens. Kol was trying to comfort a very distressed Bonnie in a large armchair next to the fireplace.

Caroline looked up from the bundle in her arms, "What exactly happened Jer? How did you get Henrik?"

Jeremy noticed that immediately every eye was now on his as they waited for his response, "I don't really know. April and I were inside maybe two minutes when there was this loud banging on the front door. After the banging stopped we could hear crying coming from the other side of the door. I ran to the door and there he was. Just crying in basket on the front porch, so I brought him in, April called you, and then we came here. I didn't see or hear anyone."

"I didn't either." April added, feeling like the fact that they didn't see anyone was more important than if they had.

"What do you think Esther wanted from him?" Elena asked, stroking her son's small head as he fell asleep.

"And why did she bring him back?" Caroline questioned, and received some glares, "I only meant, why go through all of this trouble and then just bring him back a few hours later?"

"She took some blood." Elijah said, running a finger over the small hole on Henrik's left arm.

"A lot of spells require blood Elijah, that isn't necessarily helpful." Rebekah pointed out, but her mind started to think about all the possibilities as she walked closer to the group sitting down.

"She needed Henrik's blood specifically we need to believe, otherwise why take him and not Miranda?" Kol said, "What spells require the blood of a male child?"

"I don't know the answer off the top of my head, I haven't practiced in a thousand years." Rebekah responded and looked to Bonnie, "Any ideas?"

Bonnie just shook her head, "I'd have to look." She avoided eye contact with everyone, not wanting to see anymore disappointment in their eyes.

Elijah could sense the tension building in the room when Elena glanced at the witch, anger in her stare. "Why don't we all try to get some sleep? Maybe the morning will make it clearer."

Elena nodded and rose from the couch, and Caroline handed the sleeping Miranda to her father. The couple left with their children and Caroline had a feeling that the nursery was going to be short two occupants for the next few days.

Caroline looked at the two humans across from her, "You should probably stay here tonight April, just to be safe."

"I agree." Jeremy said, squeezing her hand.

"Okay." April accented, she was actually afraid to go home, especially if Esther knew she was involved with this family.

"Come one, let's go to bed too." Jeremy suggested, standing up. April nodded and followed him out of the room, knowing it was probably more because he didn't want her to be a part of the discussion everyone else was about to have.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Caroline looked at Bonnie, "Bon, just give her some time. She didn't mean everything she said earlier."

"Yes she did, and she wasn't wrong. You all put too much faith in me." Bonnie replied, angrily getting to her feet, "This is my fault, I messed up somewhere and we could have lost Henrik because of it."

"You're right." Klaus said suddenly, and everyone looked to him from his place at the window, his back to them, "You messed up." He turned around, "But you aren't the only one. We all messed up, we all missed something tonight. And I gave my mother the perfect opportunity to take him when I put all of us in one room."

"Nik." Caroline said and rushed to his side, seeing right away that he was going to start blaming himself for this, "Stop whatever it you are thinking. This isn't your fault and it isn't Bonnie's either. Nor is it mine, or Bekah's, or Stefan's. The only person who can take the blame for this is Esther. She is so obsessed with righting her wrongs that she just keeps making even more mistakes." Caroline gripped his hand and turned back to face the group, her face hard and serious, "We will get Esther and we are going to stick to the plan. We will wait for her to come to us."


	35. Appreances are Deceiving

Bonnie rapidly flipped through the book in front of her, for three days she hadn't left the library. And she still had no idea what Esther had wanted when she took Henrik away. She ignored the footsteps that she heard approaching her, assuming it was just Kol coming to tell her that she needed rest.

"Bonnie, can I talk to you?" Elena's voice asked, causing Bonnie to jump with surprise.

Bonnie slowly raised her eyes to look at her best friend, "I really don't have the time to be yelled at right now. I still haven't figured out what spell Esther could have cast." She replied and looked back down at her book.

Elena didn't leave, she sat down in the chair across from the table that Bonnie was hunched over, "I came to apologize Bon."

"You don't need to Elena, you didn't say anything that was untrue." Bonnie said, stopping her reading but not looking up from the table top.

"That doesn't mean I should have said it. You have done so much for me and my children, it wasn't fair of me to put all of the blame on you." Elena started to explain, feeling her emotions bubble to the surface, "We have been friends all of our lives, nothing can give me an excuse to treat you like that."

"Your son was missing Elena, you had every…." She started to say.

"Bonnie, I want you stop trying to appease me. I was a whiny, ungrateful bitch, and you were nothing but humble." Elena interrupted, "I think we were wrong to put so much pressure on you. Elijah is trying to contact some other witches he knows, hoping that they will be more helpful than the ones Katherine and Damon have come across. You need some help."

"I don't want you to think I am useless." Bonnie protested, but could feel the grateful tears fill her eyes as she looked up at her friend. She really could use some help, and wished she had asked for some earlier.

"We could never think that about you Bon. You are easily the most useful person in this house." Elena assured her friend, reaching across the table and squeezing one of Bonnie's hands.

Bonnie smiled at Elena, glad to have her friend back, even if she had only been without her a few days, "I will do my best to not fail again Elena. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you, your children, or anyone else in this family."

"I never had any doubt in your feelings Bonnie. Esther is older and more powerful than any of us. We underestimated her, but we won't do it again." Elena told her and rose to her feet, "I should let you get back to work. Just remember to take care of yourself okay?"

"I will, I promise." Bonnie told her friend, smiling as she watched the beautiful brunette walk away, and just put her nose back in her book.

* * *

Caroline tapped her fingers impatiently on the table in front of her as she waited for her mother to arrive so they could have lunch. It had been almost two weeks since Esther had stolen Henrik, only to return him, and they still had no clue as to why she done it. She looked over to a booth on the other side of the restaurant and smiled at the couple sitting there, her body guards Kim and Adrian. Klaus had only agreed to let her leave the mansion without him on the condition that two hybrids were with her, for protection. Caroline had agreed to it, mostly because she was actually worried about what Esther would do to her if she got her hands on her.

A figure suddenly clouded her sight and it was male. She looked up and let out a surprised gasp, "Tyler! You are back." She jumped to her feet and went for hug, but stopped herself, not knowing how Tyler would react to such a reaction.

"Hello Caroline." He said, avoiding eye contact with her, "I was wondering if we could chat?"

"Of course, sit down." Caroline said and slid back into her chair as Tyler took the other seat, "Where have you been?"

"Around, I just really needed to clear my head after everything. I didn't stay in one place for too long." He explained, still not looking directly at her, and then quickly picked up her left hand, "What is this?"

Caroline snatched back her hand, "Exactly what it looks like." She replied, her voice cold. She noticed Kim and Adrian jump to their feet, but she shook her head, silently telling them both to sit back down. They did as she said, only at a table much closer.

She noticed Tyler's eyes move to them, they nodded at him, and he returned it before looking back to Caroline, this time in the eye, "How can you marry that monster?"

Caroline felt like there was something off with the way that Tyler was speaking, and his mannerisms weren't right either, but she shrugged it off, and said, "He isn't what you think he is Tyler. Nik…Klaus is a very different man now, he isn't the vicious killer that you knew."

"A year doesn't change a person that severely." Tyler rebutted, glancing quickly at the two hybrids before looking back at her.

"Loving me as a human and then being able to remember it, can change a person to that extreme. Would the Klaus you think you know have ever proposed marriage, to anyone?" Caroline countered, still not liking the almost evil quality she sensed with Tyler. There was only one person that had ever made her feel this way, but that was a long time ago.

"No, I don't think I could have ever imagined such a thing. I definitely didn't think it would come from a meddling little whore like you." Tyler spat at her before turning on the approaching hybrids, "Sit back down and do not utter a word to anyone, in any way unless I tell you otherwise!" He compelled them both and Caroline watched in shock as they did what he said.

"Mikael." Caroline whispered, and felt her undead heart start to race from fear, she had stopped taking vervain a long time ago. Thinking there was nothing more she had to worry about in the compulsion department. Plus it tainted her blood and made the whole blood sharing thing harder to do, "How is this possible?"

"Funny little thing about magic, there are so many loopholes to death. The soul can be brought back from the other side with the right spell and the right blood." He commented, keeping a careful eye on the two hybrids at the table next to them.

"That is why Esther took Henrik. She needed blood from a direct descendant to bring back your soul." Caroline caught on, none of their theories had come even close to the truth.

"Nice to see you aren't a complete fool." Tyler/Mikael sneered at her, "But it will not matter, you are going to die either way."

"Then can we get it over with, or you just going to sit there and talk all day?" Caroline asked, trying to buy herself some time, she noticed her mom enter and wave at her. Caroline just stared and looked back down, turned her engagement ring a few times and looked back up. Liz was looking at her strangely but nodded and pulled out her phone before leaving the restaurant.

"So willing to die my dear?" Mikael asked, smiling at her completely, not paying much attention to his surroundings.

"I'd rather not die at all, but seeing as your whole purpose in life is to kill Niklaus, I don't see me being able to avoid the option." She replied, feeling her fire return with the possibility of making out of this alive, "You know that you can't kill him as long as you are in Tyler's body, because Tyler will die once Klaus does."

"I have been made aware. I do have three other children I can get rid of first. It will probably be better that way, Niklaus is my ultimate prize and watching his siblings die will cause him a lot of pain. Especially if it happens at the hands of his beloved." He said the last word with such venom that Caroline almost felt burned, like the word was an insult.

"You can't compel me to kill them." Caroline said, knowing that her voice was not as confident as she wanted it to be.

"Should we test that theory?" He smirked and reached for her hand, she pulled as far away from him as her chair would manage, "I didn't think so."

"Caroline! I am so sorry I am late." Her mother said, coming up to the table, "Hello Tyler, I didn't know you were back."

"I haven't been back very long." Tyler/Mikael told the Sheriff, and glared at the young vampire in front of him, "Caroline didn't tell me she was meeting with you."

"You got me all distracted." Caroline said sweetly, but her face held a smirk that told a different story, "How about we talk later? I have a lot to discuss with my mom."

"I think I have a different idea." He said and got to his feet, "Why don't I join the two of you for lunch?" He gestured for Liz to take his chair, and she didn't see that she had much of choice.

"So, Tyler what made you decide to come back?" Liz asked, keeping her eyes fully on Caroline.

"I just missed home and my friends." He answered simply, "Are we expecting anymore company?"

"They are. I thought I told you to not come back mate?" Klaus's voice said suddenly appearing next to their table, his eyes glanced briefly to his two unmoving hybrids before resting again on Tyler.

"I don't have to do as you say remember?" Mikael said, playing along as he stood up to stand face to face with him.

Klaus carefully cast his eyes around the restaurant and decided it was too crowded for any act of violence, "Why don't we discuss this outside?"

"Or not." He said, and noticed that Kol was sitting at the bar, watching their interaction closely, "I really must be leaving now."

Caroline had watched all this in silence, not sure what would happen if she spoke up about who he truly was, but she knew that the odds were on their side, so said, "Not so confident now, are we _Mikael_."

Klaus tensed and Kol took a place behind Mikael, trying to cut off any chance he had of escape. Caroline watched as his eyes flitted in all directions as he tried to figure out a way out of this. His eyes stopped on Klaus' hybrids, still in their chairs and he smirked. "Attack the girl." He told them and spun around quickly, stabbing something into Kol's chest as he ran.

Caroline screamed as she felt the arms of the two hybrids wrap around her, she was able to shake off Kim but Adrian got a firm bite on her forearm. Klaus snapped their necks within seconds, it just wasn't fast enough. Kol's grey body was lying on the floor, Klaus removed the stake from his chest, relieved that it was just a regular wooden stake, and not made of white oak.

"I need to get Caroline somewhere more private." Klaus said, turning his attention back to Caroline and carefully carried her into the bathroom. Leaving it to Liz to clean up the mess they had just made in the middle of a crowded restaurant.

Klaus set Caroline on the counter, and pulled up her sleeve to see the bite on her arm, "I am so sorry love."

"It isn't your fault and it isn't Adrian's either. Mikael compelled him, just lock him and Kim up until we can kill him." Caroline explained, not wanting to the two hybrids to suffer because of her.

"I won't punish them." Klaus assured her and brought his wrist up to her lips, "You should drink before the pain starts."

"It is strange. When Tyler bit me the first time, I felt the venom start to affect me almost instantly, I can't barely feel any of it right now." Caroline informed him before biting into his wrist, savoring the feeling of his warm blood going down her throat.

"Maybe you still have some of my blood in your system from last night, it could be dulling the effects." Klaus said as her fangs retracted from his wrist.

"I guess that makes sense. I will need to go back on vervain, with Mikael wondering around it is too much of risk for me to not still take it." Caroline told him, bringing her hand up to cup his cheek, "We need to go back out and help clean up this mess."

"I will do that. You call everyone and tell them that Tyler is not Tyler. You will need to explain that more to me later, but I think I understand it." Klaus informed her, giving her a long, lingering kiss.

"I promise I will." She said as he pulled away. She hopped off the counter and cleaned the blood off of her lips and her arm before pulling out her phone and calling Stefan.

* * *

Stefan looked away from his brother and Katherine to answer his phone, leaving them and Rebekah to have a glaring match, "Hey Care."

"We have a serious problem Stefan." Caroline said, not bothering with a situation like this, "I am not sure how, but Esther was somehow able to put Mikael in Tyler's body. So, if you see him, don't trust him."

"Are you sure?" Stefan said, turning around to look at Rebekah as she came to stand next to him. Rebekah's eyes were fearful and angry at the same time.

"Yes, and he retained his ability to compel too. I hope you are still on vervain, and if you aren't, start again right now." Caroline said, "Tell Damon. I need to call Elijah and Bonnie."

"I am with Damon, so he now knows. What do you want me to do?" Stefan asked, turning away from Rebekah briefly.

"Bring all the vervain you guys have at the house to the mansion. We need to give it to the hybrids, Mikael was already able to get to two of them."

"We will get started on it right away. See you little bit Care, be careful." Stefan insisted, his voice stressing the last word.

"You too Stefan." She said before hanging up.

"This isn't good Stefan." Rebekah commented, pointing out the obvious.

"I know but…." He gasped as a needle entered his skin. His eyes were out of focus but he could see Rebekah's skin start to grey as she fell to the ground in front of his drifting eyes.

* * *

Damon and Katherine huffed as they carried Stefan's body to the basement, throwing him not too gently. Hoping that they could keep his involvement hidden from Mikael, his compulsion was not completely free of loopholes. They heard the door slam open, causing both them to quickly race back up the stairs.

Mikael turned to look at the couple, his brown eyes boring into them, "Well, where is she?"

"In there." Damon gestured with his hand before placing it on the small of Katherine's back.

Tyler's body walked into the main sitting room, and looked at the grey body of his daughter, the wooden stake still firmly lodged in her chest, "Was she alone or was your bother here as well?" He asked, turning to look directly at Damon.

Damon fought the compulsion to lie to the man in front of him, but it was stronger than he was, "Stefan was here, he is knocked out in the basement."

"Were you going to tell me that if I hadn't of asked?" Mikael said, his voice threatening.

"No." Damon answered shortly, his voice angry.

Mikael let out a maniacal chuckle that just didn't sound right coming from Tyler's throat, "I feel like you don't trust me Damon."

"Well, you are trying to kill me." Damon snarked, wondering if he was going to die now that he had delivered an Original.

"Niklaus is being saved for last. The two of you have nothing to worry about, at least not from me, until then." He told them, "Put both of them into my car."

Katherine spoke up, "Why do you need Stefan? Surely Rebekah is enough ammunition for your attack on your children."

Mikael glared at the woman, "I do not to explain myself to the likes of the two of you. Now do as I say, and do not speak another word until I tell you otherwise."

Damon and Katherine had no choice but to obey. They had run into Tyler/Mikael last week while looking for a witch in Atlanta. It didn't take them long to realize that something was off with the Lockwood boy, but it was still too little too late. He had them knocked out before either could make a move to defend themselves. He had brought them back to his secret lair with Esther and had been bleed of the vervain from their systems before compelling them to do whatever he said without speaking a word to anyone about it.

Damon finally understood why Caroline had been so angry with him for compelling her when they first met, it sucked to have your actions controlled by someone else. If they both managed to survive this, he was going to apologize to her with a sincere heart.

Katherine for her part was also feeling guilt for her actions, wishing she had stayed out of these affairs. She didn't owe Klaus or anyone else anything but she still felt bad for betraying them like this. Katherine hated being used, even if she loved using others, and she especially hated it when it would cause her own death. She looked at the man next to her as they carried Rebekah's body to the car and regretted wasting the last hundred and fifty years denying him, and vowed to tell him that if they survived this, which she doubted they would.


	36. No More Rash Actions

Caroline felt like if it were possible, she would hyperventilate and die from the panic she felt gripping her heart. Not only was Mikael back and controlling Tyler, but now he had kidnapped Stefan, Rebekah and Damon. She was so worried about how this was all going to end and Caroline really didn't think they could all get out of this alive.

Katherine was standing in front of them looking the perfect mess. She claimed that she had not been home when Mikael attacked, and only showed up as he was loading Damon into a van. She was confused as to what Tyler was doing and choose to follow him instead of attacking, noticing a few more hybrids around the parameter. She knew the way to Mikael and Esther's secret lair, and was more than ready to show it to them. The group was currently debating on how to best handle the situation.

"How can we be sure what Katherine is really saying is Katherine's own words?" Caroline asked suddenly, breaking through all the arguments with her clear voice, "Mikael could have gotten to her."

"I take vervain every day." Katherine sneered in return, looking at the young blonde on the couch.

"You and Damon were gone for weeks, you only got back four days ago. How do we know that he didn't get to you then? Mikael has been in Tyler for at least a month." Caroline rebutted, standing up so she could look Katherine straight in the eye.

"There is a simple way to find out." Kol said suddenly. He quickly flashed behind Katherine and pulled her flush against his chest. He pushed her hair to the side and bit into her neck, drawing her blood into his mouth. He retracted his fangs slowly, "There is no vervain in her system."

Katherine's face took on a relieved form of panic at Kol's words.

Kol threw Katherine into a chair as they all circled around the doppelganger, and said, "What do we do with her now? Or with what she told us?"

"I have more to tell you." Katherine said suddenly from the chair, "If I was discovered, I am to warn you that if you do not come before dawn, Damon will die, if you don't come by dusk Stefan will follow him, and Rebekah will be dead by the next morning. Also, none of their deaths will be easy, on both the one who dies and those who witness it."

"Why are you being cryptic?" Elena screamed at her ancestor, "What does that mean?"

"My guess is it means he will force Stefan to kill Damon, and then have Stefan kill himself in front of Rebekah." Klaus suggested, his hands squeezing the back of the chair Katherine sat in, "It will be the worst thing he could do before killing them."

"Then you have to go, and go now. There is eight hours left before dawn, if you don't save Damon, and you are right with Stefan being forced to kill him. It will destroy Stefan, and in association Rebekah." Elena said, looking between the vampires, she knew better than to suggest she come along, "You have to save them."

"We can't just go in there without a plan. He wants to lure us out, go where he wants us to be. We have to think about this." Elijah replied, looking at his love with sadness.

"Elena's right. We might not all like Damon, but we can't just let him die. He is family." Caroline said, standing next to Elena, her arm circled around her friend's waist.

"Damon Salvatore is not family." Kol muttered, his eyes glancing to Bonnie, before resting back on Caroline.

"He became family the moment that Rebekah decided to love Stefan." Caroline told him, glancing at the other two Originals, "Just like we accepted Jeremy and April because of their connection to Elena. We can't pick and choose who we call family."

Bonnie took the moment to stand on Elena's other side, "We have two hours to come up with a plan, or Caroline and I will go by ourselves."

"The hell you will." Klaus groaned at them, glaring at Caroline, who just glared right back.

"You know how to fix it." Caroline replied, her voice offering no question to what she was thinking.

Elijah looked back between his brother and his brother's fiancé, and though he knew that Klaus would never harm her, he decided to get this over with quickly both were far to stubborn at times. He turned to Katherine, "What is Mikael's plan?"

"I don't know, he didn't tell me, and even he had, I probably wouldn't be able to tell you." Katherine replied, looking at Elijah full on she lowered her voice and said, "Please hurry."

"Is there anyway for you to be override the compulsion that Mikael put on her by a compulsion of your own?" Bonnie asked, looking over Katherine curiously.

"No, we would have to know exactly what words he used." Klaus answered, staying behind the chair that Katherine resided in, "We should lock her up while we figure out the plan, we can't trust her."

"I agree. I am sure she has been compelled against sharing any information outside of the house's location." Kol said, agreeing with his brother, "Once we get rid of Mikael the compulsion will wear off and we can let her out."

"But you aren't going to hurt her, right?" Elena confirmed, she didn't want Katherine punished for something that she was doing against her will.

"No, we will not hurt her." Klaus promised, and then looked down at the woman in the chair, "Are you going to come without a Katerina or do I have to drag you?"

"I will not fight you." Katherine assured him, and slowly got out of the chair. Klaus indicated for her to start walking and led the vampire from the room.

They all remained silent as they awaited Klaus' return. The women took up the couch while Kol and Elijah seemed okay with pacing, both looked deep in thought. Caroline's eyes shifted to the door immediately as soon as Klaus walked through it, "We only have a few hours to come up with a fail proof plan. I would suggest we get started."

* * *

Elena sat down on her bed, she had just finished checking on her sleeping children. They had a long night under the watchful eyes of Jeremy and April as the rest of them came up with a plan to save Rebekah, Stefan, and Damon. She looked up as the door slowly opened, and smiled at Elijah as he entered.

"You promise me you'll be careful." Elena said, keeping eye contact as he moved to sit next to her on the bed.

"I would never do anything that would prevent me from coming home to you, or our children." He assured her and pulled her in for a hug, her head resting on his chest.

"You can't promise that." Elena whispered, feeling the tears in her eyes, "I know that you need to go, but at the same time I wish you wouldn't."

"Do you remember what I told you the day the babies were born?" Elijah asked her, running a calming hand over her spine.

"Yes. You promised to never leave me, or do anything I did not approve of, for keeping me and our children happy would be your number one priority." Elena replied, remembering as she told her that while they watched their hour old children fall asleep in their arms. He had compelled the hospital staff to allow them to keep the children with them in Elena's room, instead of taking them to the nursery.

"I meant what I said. If you do not want me to go help rescue my sister and the Salvatore brothers, then I won't go." Elijah informed her, his voice completely serious.

"I could never ask you to do that. Rebekah, Stefan, and Damon need you. I would feel better knowing that you were there to cover Caroline, Klaus, Kol and Bonnie." Elena told him and pulled away so she could look at him, "I can't be selfish here, I could never forgive myself if they died because I asked you to stay with me."

"I promise to never leave you under my own control." Elijah told her, probably for the hundredth time in his life, but it didn't bother him at all.

"I know that Elijah. Mikael just scares me, he scares me more than Esther ever did, or more than Klaus when he first came to town." Elena confessed, and brought a hand up to cup Elijah face, "His only goal in life is to kill all of you."

"He won't get a chance." Elijah insisted, and put a hand on each of her cheeks, wiping away her tears with his thumbs, "I will return to you and all of this will finally be over. We can start our life together, with our children and live whatever life we choose."

"I hope you are right Elijah." Elena whispered, her eyes locking on his.

"I love you Elena." Elijah told her and brought her in for a long, lingering kiss.

Elena deepened the kiss and pulled him on top of her as she fell back on the bed. She had decided that if by some vengeful act that this was the last she was ever going to see Elijah, she would make sure he died knowing how she felt.

* * *

Kol held Bonnie close against him as they rested on his bed, he was so worried that one or both of them could die in the upcoming battle.

"Are you worried?" Bonnie whispered, leaving her head resting on his chest.

"Of course I am. There is so much to lose if we fail." Kol replied, surprised that this woman could make him admit such insecurities.

"I wish I could say with confidence that we won't, but I can't. Esther has been one step ahead of us from the very beginning. They gave Katherine a message to give to us, if we questioned her loyalty. How can anyone be so well prepared?" Bonnie said, her voice having some desperation to it.

"She has had a thousand years to do nothing but plan this all out. She watched each of my siblings intently, she knows us better than we know ourselves I am sure. You and Caroline are the wildcards." Kol explained, hating that she had to be a part of this at all.

"I think Mikael is the ultimate wildcard. This entire plan hinges on me being able to get Mikael's soul out of Tyler, what happens if I fail?" Bonnie asked, moving so she was sitting up and looking him in the eye.

"I know you don't want to hear it, but if we cannot get Mikael out of Tyler, we will have to kill him." Kol informed her.

"Won't Mikael's soul just jump into another body?" Bonnie questioned.

"No." Kol assured her, "If the body in which the soul is in is killed, the soul would be forced to jump back into its own body. And, since Mikael doesn't have his own body anymore…."

"He will simply return to the other side." Bonnie finished, glad that they at least had something that was in their favor.

"Killing Tyler will be our last resort sweetheart." Kol guaranteed the woman sitting on his bed. He was convinced that she was some sort of miracle that he did not deserve.

Bonnie nodded and moved to lay back down as the waited out the remaining time until their planned departure. Kol stalled her, and she looked at him, "Is something wrong?"

Kol took a deep breath, "No, there is just something that I want to say to you encase I lose the chance. I love you Bonnie."

Bonnie almost swore her heart skipped a beat at his words. She quickly turned her shocked face into a happy, smiling one, "I love you too Kol."

Kol's face lost all signs of concern as he lent forward and pulled Bonnie in for a passionate kiss. He had never heard a woman say those words to him and feel such emotion at the same time. Bonnie's hands instinctively wrapped around his neck, giving him better access to her mouth and the rest of her waiting body.

* * *

"What do you think you were doing offering to go try a half assed rescue on your own?" He asked/yelled at the beautiful blonde woman in front of him as they walked to their bedroom.

"I was forcing your hand." Caroline said with a smirk as she turned to face him, "We are both very stubborn people but I know how to make you do what I want."

"You put yourself in danger!" He responded, hating his ability to fall for her simple ploy.

"No! I said I would if you didn't try to save Damon, but we are saving him." Caroline pointed out, "I never actually left the room."

"You had every intention of following through." Klaus reminded her, "I saw it your eyes. You might be able to easily manipulate me, but I can just as easily read your every emotion love."

"Nik, I would really rather not fight right now." Caroline sighed with a large huff, "It is over and done with. Decisions have been made, nothing can change that anymore."

"It doesn't mean I have to agree with the decisions." Klaus muttered under his breath and turned to look out the large window that overlooked the grounds, "I would still much rather have you stay here and protect Elena and the babies."

"They will have more than enough people to protect them, plus a few of your hybrids. They don't need me, you do. Esther and Mikael don't know what I am capable of, hopefully they will underestimate me and that will give us an opportunity to get the upper hand." Caroline insisted, running a hand over his shoulders, "I know what I am doing Nik. We will win, do not worry."

"All I do is worry love. I have never had so many souls to care about before. It used to just be Rebekah and my brothers, but on some level I never had to worry about their lives. At the time there was only the one stake and Mikael had every intention of saving that for me, but now, there are so many ways for those I love to die. He has more than one stake, or has figured out to keep the stakes from burning. Elena and those beautiful children are human, and so fragile. Bonnie may be a witch, but she is still human and that makes her vulnerable, and I can see how much Kol loves her. You and Stefan are also at great risk, there are so many different ways for them to get to either of you. I don't know how I would be able to continue on with my existence if you were to die Caroline." He turned around quickly and pinned her face between his hands, "I can't lose you."

"You won't Nik, only a force greater than your parents would be able to accomplish such a thing." Caroline promised him, reaching up and putting her hands over his, "We haven't even really started to live our life together. And this ring," She held up her left hand, "Is the proof that we will be together forever."

"I want to believe you but you don't know what my parents are truly capable of." Klaus replied, turning away from her once again.

Caroline stalled his movements, "Niklaus Mikaelson, look at me." She said her voice full of determination. She waited to continue until his blue eyes locked onto her own, "Do not let your parent's negative words against your character infect you again. Throw them out of your brain and let the words I am saying settle in their place. I love you, Rebekah loves you, Kol loves you, Elijah loves you, and those babies love you. There are so many people that love you Nik, and you love them. You are not a monster that needs to be put down. We have all done terrible things Nik, there is nothing that makes us better than you."

"I really don't deserve you." He whispered, trying to keep his tears from falling, no one ever made him feel as wanted as the woman holding him did on a daily basis.

"Yes, you do." Caroline whispered against his lips before planting her own on them firmly.

Klaus responded quickly, his lips knew the movements to make without him even having to think on them. His hands glided over her waist as they moved to her back, pulling her body flush against his own. Even after all of this time he was still amazed at how perfect her body felt when pressed against his. He didn't even care that they were both still fully clothes, having her in his arms in any capacity sent joy surging through his body. Caroline seemed to have other ideas though as she ran her hands over the hem of his shirt, pushing it up as she did. Klaus pulled away just far enough so he could remove his now constricting shirt. Caroline used the moment to get rid of her own shirt, leaving her in nothing but her bra from the waist up. Their eyes reconnected as each began the task of removing their jeans. Klaus was able to do it much quicker, and grinned as he watched Caroline struggled to get out of her pants.

She looked at her pants with a frustrated sigh and then moved to sit on the bed, her jeans bunched around her knees, "I should kill whoever invented skinny jeans and those that decided it should be a fashion statement."

"They do make you look absolutely stunning though." Klaus replied and kneeled down in front of her, and stripped the pants off one leg at a time. He slowly began kissing up her legs and with each kiss she let out a sigh. Klaus placed a firm kiss over her purple silk panties before looping his finger around the edge and tugged it off of her body, leaving her open to him.

Caroline unhooked her bra and threw it off into the room, leaving her completely naked on the bed. She moved back as her crawled onto the bed with her. Klaus kissed whatever skin he could reach. Klaus hovered over her and used his hands to push her blonde curls out of her face. He gave her a long, sensual kiss as he gently eased into her.

* * *

Stefan groaned as he slowly come back to consciousness, his eyes roamed around the lightly lit room, there was a single lamp on a table about three feet from him. He was chained to the wall by his wrists, vervain soaked chains by the awful burning feeling that was associated with them when he moved. A small moan come from a corner across from him, he could not make out distinct features but the long blonde hair gave him a good idea, "Rebekah, are you alright?"

He didn't get answer with words, only another soft moan.

He tugged on the chain even harder, but that only resulted in him straining his muscles and more burning around his wrists.

"Be still little brother, you will only make yourself weaker by resisting." Damon's smooth voice said from a dark spot in the room.

"Damon, what is going on?" Stefan asked, staring intently at the space from which the voice came.

"I am so sorry Stef, I really didn't have a choice in the matter." Damon replied as he walked over and leaned against the wall direct opposite of Stefan, but he did not answer his brother's question.

"Again, what is going on?" He asked again, but he was pretty sure he had an answer.

"Esther and Mikael are using us as bait for the Originals." Damon responded, and Stefan was sure he had never seen his brother look so ashamed.

"I am sorry Damon. You should never have gotten involved with this. It is my fault that you and Katherine have to experience this." Stefan told his brother, looking away to see if Rebekah had awoken yet.

"We made our own decisions Stefan, don't flatter yourself with thinking that you could make either of us do anything we didn't want to. You forget, those psychotic excuses of parents are trying to kill their children, and if they die we all die. Kat and I saw this as a way to save our skins, so don't think you could have stopped us trying to do just that." Damon informed his baby brother, annoyed that Stefan always tried to take the blame for everything that ever went wrong, "Besides, no one could have seen this Mikael thing coming."

"We should have." A weakened feminine voice said, causing the brothers to snap their attention to the Original, "We should have prepared ourselves for this possibility."

"Bekah, no one could have even guessed something like this was possible." Stefan assured her, wishing he could wrap his arms around her.

"And that is our mistake." Rebekah replied, not caring if she sounded defeated because she was.

"Bekah, please, don't…" Stefan started to say, he wanted to comfort the woman he loved.

"I will do as I want Stefan!" Rebekah yelled at him, "Do you not understand what is happening here? We are the bait. My pathetic excuse for parents got to Katherine and Damon, which by the way gave them insight into our plans, and then used them to capture us. I am sure since she not here with us, that Katherine has been sent to deliver some kind of message or threat. My brothers will come for us, and it can only end with bloodshed."

"Nice to see that time has not clouded your intuition daughter." Esther said as she opened the door to the room, allowing more light to fill the space. She looked to Damon, "Dawn is rapidly approaching Mr. Salvatore, any last words?"

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked, heaving against his restraints and looking at his brother with fear.

"They only have until dawn to save me, if they are not here by then Mikael is going to kill me." Damon responded, not looking at his brother as he spoke, and then he glared at Esther, "But they still have three hours."

"They are devising a plan I am sure." Esther told them, "How much do they really care about you I wonder Damon? You are not a member of the family, why would they risk saving you? If they let you die, that gives them nearly twelve more hours to come up with a plan to save Stefan and Rebekah."

"Maybe you are right. I have done nothing to be worth saving." Damon replied, and he kept his stare with the witch, "But I have faith in them, which is more than you can say."

"I think I know my sons better than you Mr. Salvatore. I watched them for over a thousand years toss people aside for less cause than you have given them. They will not come for you Damon, I suggest you spend the next few hours saying goodbye to your dear brother." Esther said with a confident smirk and existed the room.

Damon slumped against the wall, je placed his head in his hands, and let out a large sigh of defeat.

"They will come in time Damon." Rebekah said suddenly after a few minutes, both brothers turned to look at her, and she continued, "No matter what my mother says, you are family Damon. You are Stefan's brother, and Stefan has become a member of the family, by default so have you."

"Default makes me feel so much better, thanks Original Barbie." He sneered, letting his sarcastic nature take over in his anger.

"Be happy you even get that much consideration, especially after everything I have heard from Caroline." Rebekah rebuffed and saw the fear flood his eyes momentarily, "Oh yes. She told me everything and she has told Nik too, so you should consider yourself lucky to even still be alive."

"Rebekah, now isn't the time for this." Stefan said through clenched teeth, what his brother had done to a human Caroline was still something he regretted not putting a stop to when he had the chance.

"You are right darling." Rebekah replied with a smirk, and leaned back against the wall, trying to get comfortable with her hands chained above her head, "We will save this conversation for when we all get rescued."

"If you say so." Damon sighed, and leaned his head back, causing a tiny bang on the wall behind him. He wanted to believe Rebekah's words, but he saw the odds of his luck suddenly changing at slim to none, he just hoped that Stefan could make it out of here in one piece.


	37. And So It Begins

Elena clung to Elijah as their entire family, minus Klaus, gathered in the game room. Caroline was holding Miranda and Kol held Henrik, both were whispering to the babies. Bonnie was taking the time to places jars around the room, ensuring the safety of those in the room even if she wasn't nearby. Liz was sitting on one of the many couches looking restless and worried. April and Jeremy were huddled on a different couch, neither really looking anywhere in particular.

Caroline slowly made her way to the standing couple, "I wish there was a something I could say that would make her remember me."

"You don't need to Care. You are coming back and you are going to see her and Henrik grow up. You are going to be their favorite aunt." Elena assured her best friend, but had to struggle to keep the tears from falling from her eyes.

"I better be." Caroline tried to say with a laugh, but Elena and Elijah could see the fear laced into her tone.

"And I will be the fun uncle." Kol supplied, slipping up next to Caroline, "Your fiancé will not be able to hold a candle to me. I will make sure of it." He winked and wrapped his free arm around his soon to be sister-in-law, "Elena is right Care, we will be around to see them grow up."

"Yes, we all will." Elijah commented, his arm tightened harder around Elena as his eyes drifted over his children, brother, and Caroline.

Caroline slowly shifted and handed Miranda to Elijah, Kol followed suit and handed Henrik to Elena. Caroline took a few steps back, "The four of you should have some more time together. I am going to go talk to my mom."

"And I have a certain witch to discuss things with." Kol commented before ghosting over to help Bonnie with her spells.

Elena turned to look at Elijah, a sweet smile on his face as his daughter tugged on the collar of his jacket, "I love you."

"And I love you Elena. I promise that I will return to you, and to our children." Elijah replied, lifting his brown eyes to lock with hers, "There is nothing more important to me than our family."

Elena felt the tears she had managed to hold back with Caroline and Kol slip down her face, and whispered, "I know." She buried her head into Elijah's chest, her son in one arm while the other wrapped around his waist.

* * *

Kol was being careful not to disrupt his beautiful witch, her spells were necessary for the protection of the humans that would remain inside the house. He was just barely keeping it all together, he just wanted to hold her and keep her safe.

Bonnie stepped back from the last window and turned to look at Kol, "I am finished. When we leave and I place the last jar no one will be able to enter or leave this room until I remove the spell."

"I wish you could stay behind and safe too." Kol whispered in her ear as he pulled her into a hug.

"You need me more." Bonnie replied, not trying to pull herself away.

"You have no idea." Kol said and pulled back just enough so he could place a kiss on her tender lips, "I love you."

Bonnie smiled, she knew that she would never regret hearing those words leave his mouth, "I love you too Kol. We will survive this."

Kol gave her a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes in the normal way, "I would never dare argue with you. Came midday we will be back in bed, I am sure of it."

"And don't you forget it." Bonnie responded, hiding her watering eyes back in Kol's chest, just breathing in his scent. She wanted to be able to remember his smell for the rest of her life, just in case.

* * *

Caroline gave her mom a small smile as she lowered herself onto the couch, "How are you holding up?"

Liz slowly raised her eyes to look at her daughter, "I don't like this at all. Why do you need to go? I am sure Klaus, Elijah, Kol and Bonnie can handle things just fine without you."

"No Mom, they can't. Bonnie and I are wildcards. Mikael and Esther don't know that much about us, it gives us an edge." Caroline explained, though she knew her mom was well aware of everything she was saying.

"Isn't Klaus worried about you? About you distracting him?" Liz argued, just wishing she could keep her child with her.

"Of course he is. That is why I am partnered with Elijah. We have a plan Mom. The Originals have been alive a long time, they know what they are doing." Caroline assured her mom, squeezing one of her hands, "I still have a lot to live for Mom."

Liz used her free hand to wipe some fallen tears off her cheek, "It is my job to worry about you Caroline. All I have ever wanted was to keep you safe."

"I know that Mom. I love you, you know that right?" Caroline said, feeling her own tears threaten to fall.

Liz nodded, "I have always loved you Caroline." She pulled her daughter into a hug and gripped her as tightly as she could.

"I know that too." Caroline whispered into her mother's shoulder, she wished that they could have had this kind of relationship her entire life, hating that her death had really brought them closer together. She slowly pulled away after a few moments, trying to hide her falling tears, "I should go get Klaus. We need to leave soon."

Liz nodded and wiped her cheeks, trying to smile at her daughter as Caroline slowly left the room, wiping her own tears as she did.

* * *

Klaus stood around his kitchen counter, seven of his hybrids standing on the other side. They were the only ones he could still trust. Besides Kim and Adrian, Mikael had managed to get three others. He poured each of them a shot of tequila, in the bottom of each glass Elena had placed a decent amount of vervain.

"I want each of you take this shot and swallow it. It is going to hurt, but you must not spit it out. The vervain will prevent you from being compelled by Mikael." Klaus explained, and watched as each of them took their glass in hand. He had poured himself a shot, his just lacked the vervain, "Hopefully the tequila will help dull the pain." Klaus held up his glass, and watched as his hybrids did the same, then knocked it down his throat. He watched as all of them struggled to swallow the burning liquid and slammed their glasses down on the counter.

Once all of them were able to straighten themselves back up, Klaus started giving them orders, "The three of you are going to stay here and protect the babies, Elena, Jeremy, Liz, and April. The four of you are coming with us to fight. Your job will be to disable, but hopefully not kill, Chris, Bill and Jake."

"What should we do once we have 'disabled' them?" Nate asked, he was actually hoping that Klaus would allow them to fight. He got bored with all the watching and babysitting they tended to do.

"We don't know if he has any other support, your job will be to deal with them. They would just be normal vampires, so what you do to them will be at your discretion." Klaus answered, looking at Nate, Dean, Kayla, and Maya. Each of them nodded in understanding.

Klaus turned to look at his remaining hybrids, "And you all understand your job as well?"

"Yes, protect the family." Neal replied, "We will kill anyone who even tries to get into the mansion."

"What about the two in the basement? Should we protect them as well?" Peter asked, wanting everything to be clear.

"No, Alaric and Katerina are to be of no concern of yours during this. Everyone else is going to be placed in the game room, it will give you a smaller area to protect. Jeremy, Liz, and Elena can be helpful, so don't forget to use them if you have to." Klaus informed them, and looked up when Caroline walked into the kitchen.

"We are all ready to go." She told him before walking back out, the dried tears on her face not escaping his notice.

"Also, Bonnie has spells placed, so hopefully you won't have too much trouble, but if she happens to die, her magic will as well." Klaus told them, his voice saddened at the thought, "Come on, we all have places to be." Klaus walked out of the kitchen, his hybrids following behind him.

As they entered the game room, he looked around at all the people that were gathered there and couldn't help but wonder if all of them would be standing here when the sun rose in the morning.

* * *

Caroline held onto Klaus' hand with a death grip as they looked at the small house that Esther and Mikael had been hiding out in. She never had felt more worried about her safety and the safety of those she loved. Caroline actually thought it was funny, she had never even been this afraid when the Originals had first come to town, and she had almost been used in the sacrifice.

"We will survive this." Klaus whispered into her ear. He could sense her fear and nerves, and it took all of his willpower not to send her home.

"I know." She whispered back, and wished her voice could sound as confident as his did. Caroline glanced to the left and noticed that Kol and Bonnie were standing in a similar fashion as she was, "I love you."

"As I love you." Klaus replied, giving her a quick kiss. And he knew that he would do whatever he could to make sure it wasn't going to be the last one they had.

Caroline slowly removed her hand from Klaus' when their lips separated and went to stand next to Elijah. Elijah and Caroline slowly glided off into the shadows to cover the back door, waiting for their signal to attack. Klaus' hybrids were busy handling any hybrids or vampires that were lining the perimeter of the house. Klaus had initially been cross with idea of allowing Caroline to ever be out of his sight, but he needed to be at the front door. Caroline and Elijah's lack of appearance could be easily explained away, where his would only led to suspicion.

Klaus watched his beautiful fiancé disappear and clenched his hands in anger, he knew that it was necessary for the plan, but that did not mean he had to accept it. He slowly turned to Bonnie, "Time to announce our presence love."

Bonnie nodded before closing her eyes, and Klaus could feel the magic surround her before pushing off toward the house, causing the barrier spell around Esther's house to light up. The door opened soon after, Esther and Mikael walked out. The eyes of all three widened, Esther had morphed Tyler's features so he looked exactly like Mikael would if he was in his own body. Klaus knew it was all just a scare tactic, there was no way that it was really Mikael's body, meaning he was still just as vulnerable as any hybrid's body would be. But seeing his father standing there shook him to his core, which he knew was the whole point.

"Only the two of you and the witch? Does Elijah not care for his dear sister's life?" Mikael asked, even his voice sounded like his own instead of Tyler's.

"Elijah has more pressing matters to care for, Rebekah will understand." Kol responded, not sure if Klaus was over the shock yet.

"That was not the agreement, all three of you were supposed to come." Esther answered, looking over the three people in front of her with curiosity.

"Maybe you should have given Katherine a better message to deliver if that was the case." Klaus replied, finally recovering his voice.

"Perhaps, but nonetheless you are too late for Damon." Mikael chuckled before calling over his shoulder, "Come say goodbye Mr. Salvatore."

The three of them watched with suspicious eyes as Damon stumbled out of the doorway, his hands bracing against the frame. Klaus noticed the distinct bite mark on the right side of Damon's neck before his brother and Bonnie, but he knew when she had seen it.

"You bastard!" Bonnie yelled, she had never been one of Damon's greatest fans, but dying that way was something no one deserved.

"That would be the man standing next to you Miss Bennett." Mikael replied, a smirk holding firm on his face.

"You said we had until dawn, that is still two hours away." Kol said through clenched teeth, they could save Damon if they could reach him, but with the shield they had no way of getting into the house. But they would have to leave the shield to kill them as well, they just needed to provoke his parents into the offense and faster than they had originally thought.

"And Damon has that much longer to live. According to my sources, the bite will take a few hours to kill him still." Mikael replied, glancing back at Damon quickly before turning back to his sons, "But I am not sure that is true, he looks about ready to fall over."

"This is pointless." Klaus said, staring at his father with murderous intent, "You cannot kill us from there and we cannot kill you while you remain in your protective bubble. That leaves us in a bit of a stalemate."

"So eager to die Niklaus?" Esther asked, smiling at her bastard son.

"Only eager to get this over with, whichever way it may end." Klaus responded, turning his glare to his mother.

Mikael looked over to his wife and gave her a subtle nod of his head and Esther's eyes closed. Klaus was watching her intently, while Kol kept his eyes on their father. They all felt it when a magical wind pushed them all off their feet, causing them to fall on their backs about five feet away from their previous positions.

* * *

Caroline and Elijah reacted quickly once they pulled themselves back to their feet. Elijah pushed through the door first, ready to fight but there was no resistance. Caroline followed him in, keeping her body tense and alert as they walked into the tiny house, everything was too quiet. They entered into a hallway with three door leading off of it before it ended in a large room the held the kitchen, living room and dining room.

Both her and Elijah snapped their heads to a door on the left when they heard a chain rattle. Elijah went first, as he did before, and Caroline quickly followed. She gasped as they both feel upon the scene in front of them. Rebekah was straining against the chains as Stefan sat behind her, a fresh bite mark clear on his neck. He was holding a white oak stake above her chest, tears were running down both of their faces.

Stefan's eyes met Elijah's, and through clenched teeth managed to say, "I…can't…fight it…much…longer." His hand was shaking violently and he was coated in sweat, probably from a combination of the werewolf venom and him fighting the compulsion.

Elijah looked to Caroline and gave her a subtle nod, she understood quickly, "Stefan, you just need to try and fight it, you've done it before."

Stefan firmly kept his eyes on Elijah, "That was different Care. I was only fighting the compulsion...now there is also this bite...and it hurts so much."

"I know it does Stef. Look at me, just look at me Stefan. Try to focus on your love for Rebekah. You don't want to kill her." Caroline tried, she just needed him to break his eye contact with Elijah for a second.

Stefan fought with his mind to tear his eyes away from Elijah. A part of the compulsion had been for him to never take his eyes off whatever Original entered the room, and once they did to drive the stake into Rebekah's heart. He wasn't sure he could fight off both compulsions at once, but he knew if he could give Elijah the chance, he could end all of this. So with a deep breath Stefan slowly moved his eyes to look at Caroline, she gave him a small smile before his entire world went black.

Caroline rushed forward to grab the stake and tucked it into the waist band of her pants, not wanting to leave it lying around. Elijah gently laid Stefan's body on the ground, the venom would spread quicker now that he was unconscious, and they really needed to hurry. Caroline bit her bottom lip and pulled the chains free from Rebekah's wrists, the urge to scream going through her as her hands burned. She fought to keep her the scream inside, knowing that if Klaus heard it, she would ruin his focus.

"Is he going to be alright?" Rebekah asked, rubbing her hands as she turned to look at her boyfriend's body. Her eyes flooded with concern as she controlled her tears.

"I just snapped his neck. It is the hybrid bite we need to worry about." Elijah replied, helping his sister to her feet, "We need to go help the others. Stefan will be fine for at least an hour."

"I am not sure if Damon has that long, Mikael bit him two hours ago." Rebekah told them, her eyes only leaving Stefan to look at her brother, "I think he was also compelled to attack us."

"Then let's hurry up. They faster we defeat Mikael and Esther, the sooner Nik can save them." Caroline said, her hands were healing quickly, and she was more than nervous about what they would find when they got to the front yard.

The two Originals flashed from the room. Caroline gave one last look at the man lying on the ground, "You are going to be alright Stefan."

"It is you that you should worry about." A voice whispered in her ear as a hand covered her mouth and an arm laced around her waist. She tried to scream but the hand kept her completely silent and she felt teeth sink into her neck before she was flashed from the room.


	38. The Last Battle

Klaus pulled himself back onto his feet quickly, his eyes locking onto his father immediately, he would let Bonnie and Kol deal with his mother. Mikael quickly jumped off of the deck of the house and landed on his feet off to the side. Klaus could see that he was trying to lead him away from Bonnie and Kol, but he didn't care, he could do this all on his own.

Klaus felt his eyes flash yellow with his anger as the space between him and Mikael closed. They were no longer standing directly in front of the house, Mikael's movements had led them closer to the edge of the woods and down the side of the house. Klaus was not an idiot, he would not allow himself to be pulled any further into Mikael's trap, so he baited the man that had once been his father, "Afraid to face me head on old man?"

"I have nothing to fear from you boy." Mikael replied, but he stopped his movements nonetheless, "It is me you should fear. For soon you will be all alone. First you'll lose your siblings and then your precious little blonde whore will die before I give you the same pleasure."

"I think you are overconfident." Klaus sneered as he tried to keep his emotions in check, seeing Mikael standing in front of him brought back many memories he had been trying to forget.

Mikael smirked, it was the same smile he had shown Klaus when he had thought he held Elena right before Klaus killed him, "Am I?" He asked and looked to his left briefly.

Klaus followed his eyes and felt his breath stall, his hybrid Chris held Caroline firmly, her neck bleeding from a bite wound. Her blue eyes landed on his and they sparkled with love and defiance. He tore his eyes away from and trained them back on his father, "Are we really going to play this game? Don't you remember how it turned out the last time?"

An explosion caused the four of them to stumble. Mikael and Klaus kept their eyes firmly on each other. Caroline tried to twist out of Chris' hold, but he was not startled enough. Caroline was also slightly surprised at how well she felt still, when Tyler had bit her she had felt the venom attack her almost instantly. That gave her an idea and she immediately started to slowly allow her body to grow limp, forcing Chris to tighten his grip to keep her standing.

"There will be a different death this time around." Mikael replied, and a shriek pierced the air, followed by another explosion, "You aren't going to survive this time boy."

The name caused Klaus to flinch involuntarily, "Don't you ever tire of being wrong?" Klaus asked the man in front of him, "You once told me that no one cares about me, that no one would ever be able to care for me." Klaus took a step forward, "You were wrong then and you are wrong now."

Mikael let out a half laugh, "She doesn't really love you Niklaus, you've just let yourself be deceived by your wants, your desires. I bet she would leave you right now if I offered to spare her life." He cocked his head and added, "Or maybe not, since if she let me kill you, she herself would die in a few hours."

Caroline, giving herself a weakened voice, said, "You really do know nothing old man." She slowly raised her left hand, showing Mikael the beautiful ring that graced her finger, loving the expression on his face. She let her hand fall weakly to her side, and let out a strangled breath as she slumped further. Her eyes were the only hint at the hidden strength.

Mikael's face went from shock to furry within a few seconds as he glanced from Caroline's hand to Klaus' smug face, "Let's end this boy." Mikael lunged for Klaus, a stake appearing suddenly in his hand.

Klaus was surprised at how quick Mikael was, and decided that his mother must have added to his strength somehow. Klaus was still quicker though and dodged the attack, placing him and Mikael on opposite sides. Caroline was now at his back, and he disliked not being able to see her. The house blocked his view of the other fight he could hear going on and he quickly prayed his family was safe. He knew they hadn't defeated Esther yet since all of Mikael's appearance spells were still intact. Klaus smirked, "That the best you got?"

Mikael was not about to get baited, he twisted the stake in his hand and said, "Of course not, I am always prepared. Now!" He yelled, and shapes threw themselves at Klaus without hesitation from the shadows of the woods.

Klaus had to quickly defend himself as vampires attacked him, all were new and that meant inexperienced. Even with that advantage, a dozen or so enemies requires some attention. He tried to keep his eyes on Mikael, but he lost sight of him in the crowd. Klaus couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the hybrids he had sent in to deal with this very problem.

"Let her go, she can barely stand. Go join the fight." Klaus heard Mikael say and let a smirk grace his features. It dropped when he noticed Chris was standing where the vampire he had just killed was a second before, he was pretty sure it was the last one too.

"I would suggest telling you to try and fight it, but I doubt that would do any good." Klaus told the hybrid in front of him, "I would rather not kill you."

"I don't see that you…." Chris started to say when little hands gripped both sides of his head before twisting it. The body fell to the ground, revealing a young blonde vampire in its place.

"Wonderful timing love." Klaus said and smiled at the woman he loved, he quickly turned and looked for Mikael, "Where did he go?"

"He ran to the front of the house when he set the vamps on you. I don't think things are going well for Esther." Caroline mentioned and made the motion to start walking that direction.

"Here, quickly love, before the venom starts to effect you." Klaus said and held out his wrist for her.

"You are going to need all the strength you have, I feel fine." Caroline insisted, grabbing his hand and squeezing it, "I can wait."

Klaus was about to argue with her when a rather large explosion actually knocked them off balance. He and Caroline locked eyes before both raced toward the front of the house, the fight with the vampire lackeys had pushed them into the backyard.

* * *

Bonnie sent a wave of magic at Esther before the young witch had even regained her feet. Kol was slowly walking toward his mother, his eyes full of murderous intent, and he never saw the shape charging at him. Bonnie called out to warn him but it was too late and all she could do was watch as Kol and Damon rolled off as they struggled. Her eyes quickly flicked back to Esther when she felt magic hit her personal barrier.

"You really should reconsider your position Bonnie. It would be such a shame to have to kill such a promising young witch as yourself." Esther commented as she slowly walked down the three steps in front of the small house.

"You are trying to murder your children? What kind of woman does that?" Bonnie asked, sending out another blast. This time it collided with a blast of Esther's, and it created a small shake.

"My children are monsters Bonnie, they never should have lived this long in the first place. I must right my wrongs." Esther explained, stopping when there was six feet between the two witches, "You have just been seduced by their charms."

"No! I was seduced by their humanity!" Bonnie informed Esther, bracing herself as a blast hit her shield, which was weakening, "Those babies have changed them!"

Esther stumbled as Bonnie thrust out power with her last words, and replied, "My grandchildren deserve to grow up in world without such monsters in their lives."

Their power met again, only this time it created a small explosion that shook them, but they were easily able to keep their balance.

Bonnie shook her head, "But they will grow up without their father."

"So do a lot of other children, they will be fine." Esther replied and turned around quickly when Rebekah and Elijah tried to rush her from behind. She caught both of them in her magic and threw them away.

Bonnie's eyes followed Rebekah as she went in the direction Kol had disappeared, but came back to Esther, "You are being selfish."

"Me? You are the one sleeping with a vampire Bonnie, how are you not disgusted with yourself?" Esther asked, throwing more power at Bonnie and bouncing off her shield, hitting Elijah as he tried to attack his mother again.

Elijah carefully picked himself off the ground between the two witches and looked at his mother, "Do we really deserve this much pain Mother?"

Esther's eyes softened for a moment as she took in her eldest child but they hardened again as she said, "How much pain have you and your siblings caused over the last thousand years Elijah? This is nothing compared to that kind of suffering."

"Mother, please stop this!" Rebekah voice called, her and Kol had returned.

Kol dropped an unconscious Damon outside of the blast zone and said, "You cannot defeat us all."

Esther looked between her three children and Bonnie could see what she was thinking. Bonnie quickly threw a large blast of pure power at Esther as the elder witch did the same thing, only aiming it at her children. It created a large explosion that threw the three Originals a few yards away and Bonnie fell to her knees.

Esther, also on her knees, looked up at the Bennett witch, "I am willing to die for this Bonnie. Can you say the same thing?"

Bonnie felt the blood that was dripping from her nose and ignored it, she locked her brown eyes on the Original witch's blue ones, "Yes."

"Then so be it." Esther rose to feet and her eyes shifted as Mikael came into view. She smiled at him briefly before turning her eyes back to Bonnie.

Bonnie quickly started gathering her magic to add to her shield, she tried to shift her magic so that it would deflect everything right back at Esther.

Esther glared at Bonnie as she pushed all the magic she could control at the young witch, causing Bonnie to scream in pain as she deflected the magic. Bonnie felt her legs give out as the last bit of energy left her body, just before darkness overtook her she heard Esther scream and watched the blonde witch fall to the ground.

* * *

Caroline heard the screams a second before a large blast knocked her and Klaus off their feet. She noticed that even the house shook with the force, and knew that Bonnie and Esther had finished their battle. Klaus was on his feet first and quickly helped her to her own, "Do you think...?"She couldn't bring herself to finish the question.

"We shouldn't wait to find out. No matter who won Mikael is still a problem." Klaus told her, and the rushed to round the corner.

Caroline gasped as she took in the sight before her. Kol was rocking an unconscious Bonnie in his arms, whispering to her. Rebekah was knocked out herself, the blast had thrown her hard into a nearby tree, cracking her back, Caroline could tell from the angle of her sister's body. Elijah was fighting with Mikael, who now looked like Tyler again. Klaus rushed to help his elder brother and Caroline made her way toward Esther's unmoving body.

Caroline slowly lowered herself in front of the witch and listened for a heartbeat. She sighed in frustration as she could pick up a low and unsteady beat, wishing the woman would just do everyone a favor and die. Caroline brushed Esther hair out of her face and said, "Esther? Can you hear me?"

Esther's eyes fluttered open, and with a single breath said, "Yes."

"Good because I want you to remember these words when you go to the other side. We won today. For all your scheming and magic and so called rightness at resetting the balance of nature, you still lost. The love of this family was able to withstand everything you threw at it. Enjoy watching us be happy." Caroline firmly told the woman lying in front of her, not feeling a single ounce of guilt for her fate.

Esther shuttered as pain surged through her body, her eyes looked at the young woman in front of her, and she whispered, "One day Caroline, you will wish that you had died here today. I know my son and no matter how much you think you have changed him, it will not last forever. He is impulsive and one day you will see that I am right and you will regret this moment."

"You are wrong Esther. Nik and I will live forever in our love, surrounded by our family, both the immortal and mortal. But most importantly, we will finally be able to be happy because we will have rid ourselves of you and Mikael. You have done nothing but poison your children their entire lives." Caroline spat at her, anger and hate rolling off of her in waves.

Esther let out a chocked out a laugh, her breath failing her as she did. Caroline watched and listened to the last beats of Esther's heart. Once Caroline was sure Esther was truly dead she got back on her feet and looked at Elijah and Klaus.

Mikael was losing ground, she could see that clearly. Esther had been supplying him with magical assistance and with her gone, so was his upper hand. She watched as Klaus made a swing at his head, causing Mikael to duck and back up. Elijah took the opportunity to get behind him and snapped his neck in one clear movement. Caroline sighed in relief as she saw Tyler's body fall to the ground.

A moan behind her drew her attention. Damon was starting to stir but he was making frantic movements, as if ever part of his body was fighting him. Caroline rushed to his side, the large, bleeding bite on his neck not escaping her notice, "Nik!" She screamed, and tried to pin Damon's body down from his manic seizures.

Klaus was by her side in a second, looking down at Damon with curious eyes. He quickly sat on his knees and bit into his wrist. He forced it into Damon's mouth, waiting for Damon to take some control and suck it down. He flinched when he felt Damon's fangs lock onto his wrist, but he took it as a good sign. Klaus waited a few minutes before he decided that Damon had enough and ripped his wrist from Damon's grasp.

Caroline let out the breath she had been holding and smiled at Nik, "Will he be okay?"

"Should be." Klaus assured her, returning her smile but dropped it when hers did, "What is wrong?"

"Stefan! Mikael bit him too. Come on." She jumped to her feet and vamped into the house, not stopping until she lifted Stefan's still unconscious head into her lap.

Klaus acted quicker with Stefan than he had with Damon. He actually felt affection for the younger Salvatore and would hate to see him die, "Hold his mouth open love."

Caroline did as she was told and parted Stefan's lips with her fingers. Klaus bit into his wrist again and placed the wound over Stefan's open mouth, letting the blood flow. Once it closed, he reopened it and placed it back. He wanted to make sure that Stefan got as much in him as he could.

"Are you sure that will be enough?" Caroline asked as Klaus removed his wrist the second time around.

"We won't know until he wakes up, but I am sure it is." Klaus said and lifted Stefan up, slinging him over his shoulder, "Let's go join the others and get away from this place."

Caroline nodded and followed him out into the front yard. Elijah held Rebekah gently in his arms, Kol was holding Bonnie close to his chest, and Damon was sitting on the ground with his head between his knees. Caroline flashed over to Kol and looked at Bonnie, "Is she going to be alright?"

"I think so, I gave her some blood to help." Kol whispered, his arms tightening as Bonnie groaned, "Are we ready to go?"

"Yes, we are." Klaus replied, and looked over at Damon, "Can you walk?"

"I think so." Damon said and slowly got to his feet.

"Good. Let's get moving." Klaus said and started moving toward the cars parked about a quarter mile away.

"Wait." Caroline said and looked over Damon suspiciously, "Aren't you still compelled? Mikael isn't dead, just knocked out."

Damon's face fell immediately, and he tried to run but Elijah stopped in front of him and snapped his neck again, all while keeping a firm grip on his sister's form.

"Good thinking love." Klaus said, sliding up and giving Caroline a kiss on the top of her head. His eyes glanced down to the wound on her neck.

"You guys go put Bonnie, Stefan and Bekah in the car. I will wait here with Damon and Tyler." She replied smiling up at him,trying to get him to forget about the bite, it still wasn't bothering her, and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "See you in a few."

Klaus smirked and flashed away, his brothers right on his heels. Caroline let out a giant sigh of relief as she looked at the destruction around her, glad that all of this was finally over. They could be happy now.

* * *

Elena cringed as another explosion hit the house, holding her daughter closer to her. April was next to her doing something similar with Henrik. The vampires outside were throwing homemade bombs at the large house. To conserve her energy and magic Bonnie had restricted her protection spell to only the game room. Liz and Jeremy were pacing near the only wall with any windows, flinching each time something shattered against the barrier. The panes had long been broken, but the spell prevented anything from getting into the room and Klaus had signed the house over to Elena months earlier, preventing them from entering the house directly. The three hybrids guarding them had long since disappeared into the night, trying to remove all of their attackers.

"How much longer to you think we have to wait Elena?" April asked, trying to sooth the frightened child in her arms.

"I don't know." Elena answered honestly, wondering if they would burn the house down around them.

"I hate just sitting here!" Jeremy said suddenly after another bomb hit outside the window he was standing near, "If this stupid spell allowed it, I could shoot them with the crossbow from here."

"Save your energy Jer, you might still need it." Elena told her brother, hating that her thoughts even allowed her to think of her friend's death, but she needed to be prepared to protect her children.

Jeremy hushed up rather quickly after that, a part of him still loved Bonnie and he would hate for her to die.

April was getting nervous and when that happened she just wanted to talk, "Elena, when did you realize you were in love with Elijah? I don't mean to pry, but Jeremy told me only a little of what happened, and I am rather curious."

Elena looked at April and smiled, she could see that the girl needed a distraction, "I always felt a connection to Elijah, even before everything changed and I went back in time." She explained, a small smile on her face as she did, "But when I was with him, when he was human, I just couldn't stop myself from falling for him. Here, it was easy to deny the pull I felt for him, I had distractions with Damon and Stefan, but there, it was only us. I think the moment I truly started to realize I was in love with Elijah was when he went missing." April gave her a sideways lock, as if confused. Elena smiled again and continued, "Elijah and Klaus went on a hunting trip and when they didn't return, we all started to worry. Caroline ran off to find them, she knew that she would have a better chance than anyone else, and she was right. They had been attacked by a bear and it nearly killed them. Caroline found them and saved both of their lives. When I saw Elijah again, he was so bloody and damaged, all I wanted to do was run to him and pull him close. I did no such thing. In fact, he and I didn't even really speak for a few weeks after that. He had just learned that Caroline was a vampire and that I had been keeping secrets from him, I was afraid that if I spoke to him, he would hate me. One day he found me sitting by the river, it was a pastime I greatly enjoyed, and he knew that. That day, we had our first kiss. I don't think either of us realized it at the time but that bear is what ultimately brought us together. But I never actually said the words to Elijah until I was back here, in the present. That is one of my biggest regrets."

"Why?" April asked, truly curious, she had lost herself in the story.

"Esther kidnapped me not long after I returned. I was pregnant and all I wanted to do was tell Elijah I loved him. Esther denied me the chance to tell Elijah about the babies myself and I hate her for it. I can't help but think, that if I had told Elijah I loved him in the past, then maybe when I returned to the present things would have been different." Elena explained, her months with Esther had allowed her a lot of free time to think.

"Why did you never tell him then?" Jeremy asked, he and Liz had gotten caught up in Elena's story as well.

Elena smiled at her brother, "I needed to end things with Stefan and Damon permanently before I gave Elijah my heart completely. I needed to be able to see both of them again and make sure that what I felt for Elijah was true. To make sure it wasn't just something I fell into because of loneliness."

"That was very mature of you Elena." Liz commented before turning her attention back to the noises outside, "Something is wrong. The barrier is flickering."

Jeremy quickly grabbed his crossbow and readied himself at the window. Elena jumped to her feet, "Get up April, time to hide."

April wasted no time and went to the spot created in the corner farthest from the window where she was supposed to hide and watch the babies while the other three covered her. Elena carefully handed April her daughter and April said, "Don't worry Elena. I won't let anything happen to them."

Elena tried to smile and whispered, "Let's hope that it doesn't come to that." Before quickly taking up her own position in the last empty window, a crossbow of her own in her hands. She looked at the flickering jars lining the room, and whispered, "Come on Bonnie, you can survive this."


	39. Assessing the Damage

A stirring to her right caused Caroline to flinch with fluid movements. She looked around and her eyes quickly landed on the cause of the sound, Mikael was waking up. She quickly took action to make sure he wouldn't be in any trouble, and broke both his arms.

Mikael screamed in pain as his arms cracked, his yellow eyes locked on her blue ones, "You little whore. I will still kill you before this over."

"You are in no position to make threats Mikael." She told him and placed the tip of a white stake over his heart.

Mikael laughed at her motion, "You expect me to believe that you would kill this boy? I was told he was your lover before you lowered yourself to my bastard son."

"And you were told correctly, but that doesn't mean I am unwilling to do what has to be done to rid the world of you and protect my family." Caroline informed the man on the ground beneath her.

Mikael smirked, but the expression looked wrong on Tyler's lips, "I don't think you have it in you, sweetheart. You can't murder your friend, not even to save your precious Niklaus or your pathetic illusion of a family."

"You have no idea what I am capable of." Caroline told him in a hushed, threatening tone, "But don't think I am just going to kill you either. I think that your children get to decide what is going to be done to you. Even in spite of all of your meddling they are united again, as a true family."

"Please,"Mikael scoffed, "You are just going to try and get your little witch to remove me from Tyler's body. I will just return to the Other Side." Mikael taunted, not even sounding the least bit put off about the idea, "As for my children, their unity is only a façade, eventually they will crack and break apart."

"Maybe you will just return to the Other Side, or maybe we will try to find a way for you to suffer. But no matter what becomes of you, we will not break, we will stand strong, together, for the rest of time. And you will get to watch, without being able to have influence on any of it." Caroline said and snapped his neck, sick of this conversation that could led to nothing productive.

Caroline sat down and brought her knees up so she could place her chin on them, looking down at Tyler's unconscious body. The stake was still in her hand and she twirled it absentmindedly as a tear fell down her cheek. She couldn't help but wonder if she really could have driven it through his heart, knowing full well it would kill Tyler. Mikael was a cruel man and deserved his fate, but Tyler was just an innocent victim in all of this, chosen because of his closeness to their family.

"Are you alright love?" Klaus asked, coming up to knell next to Caroline, his arm wrapping around her shoulder, "Why are you crying? Does your wound hurt? You should take some blood."

"It isn't the bite Nik." Caroline said, gripping the arm he held in front of her and bringing it up to her chest, lying her chin on that instead of her knees, "He woke up."

Klaus tensed instantly and asked, "What did he say?"

"Mostly the normal things like I am a whore and he is going to kill me. It is more about Tyler. I threatened to kill him if he tried anything and he said I couldn't do it because of my feelings for Tyler. And I can't help think that he was right, I don't want him to die Nik." Caroline told her fiancé and leaned back into his embrace.

"And he won't, once Bonnie wakes up she will just send Mikael's soul back to wherever it is it came from." Klaus assured her, holding her tighter. He was finally beginning to understand what she meant when she said you could love someone, and not be in love with them at the same time, "Tyler will be fine." He could still feel her shaking under his arms, "Please have some blood, I don't like the idea of all that filth in your body, slowly killing you."

"I am fine. In all honestly, I am kind of curious to see how long it takes before I start to feel the effects." Caroline told him, amazed at how she seemed to have developed an immunity to the deadly toxin.

"I don't care how curious you are. Not knowing if you are okay is driving me crazy. Please, for the sake of my state of mind, drink." He pleaded, moving his arm back up to her mouth.

Caroline let out a sigh but bit into his wrist, taking two nice, long gulps. She pulled back and his arm fell back down to his side. Caroline pulled out his embrace and turned around, she placed a gentle kiss on his lips, "I love that you worry so much about me."

"I wish you didn't give me so much reason to." He replied and gave her a much longer, deeper kiss.

"Can you break it up? We have places to be." Kol's voice rang out from where he was picking up Damon's body.

Caroline giggled and got up to her feet, "I am surprised you left Bonnie." She said, noticing that Elijah was picking up Esther's dead body. Even if she had just tried to kill all of them, she deserved a proper burial.

"Rebekah woke up. She is watching over them." Kol answered as he stood up, "A few of the hybrids are there as well, along with the bodies of the unconscious ones."

"Do we have enough cars for this?" Caroline asked, doing the math in her head. They had taken two cars to get here, when there was ten of them, now there was seventeen and half of them were unconscious or dead.

"I am sure there is one or two cars hidden somewhere on the property we can use." Klaus said as he lifted up Tyler's body and threw it over his shoulder like he was a sack of potatoes, "I will send someone to find one while we get moving. I really want to get back to house."

"Not nearly as much as I do." Elijah said, his voice tense, as sped off toward the cars, not even waiting to see if they were going to follow him.

* * *

"Liz, are you sure you are alright?" Elena asked again, looking over at the bleeding sheriff, there was a long gash across her forehead.

"I am fine Elena, I have had much worse than this before." Liz assured the worried girl from her place next to April on the couch, "You just concern yourself with your babies."

Elena let out a small laugh, "They don't seem to be worried at all. Both are sound asleep." Elena said, sighing as she looked at the sleeping children in the play set next to her.

"Well, they are the only ones." Jeremy said, looking out the windows, "Do you think the spell going out for those few minutes means Bonnie is dead?"

"If she was the spell wouldn't have turned back on." April said to her boyfriend, "Maybe she just passed out, or needed the energy for something else. I am sure she is fine, I am sure they all are."

"Can you see anything Jer?" Elena asked, glad that at least one of them still had some optimism. She was sure she would know if something bad had happened to Elijah, but it didn't stop her from worrying.

"I see one of the hybrids, he is doing something with a hose." He replied to his sister, and turned around, "I think all the attackers have been taken care of."

"It would be nice if one of them could come and tell us one way or the other." Elena commented and huffed in her frustration. Her phone wasn't ringing either, not helping with her nerves at all.

"You know they can't get in Elena. No one can until Bonnie lifts the spell." Jeremy reminded her, turning to join April on the couch.

"That doesn't mean they can't talk to us through the shield, or whatever it is." Elena pointed out, "I just hate not knowing anything." Her hand had a death grip on the phone in her hand, she was practically begging it to ring.

Jeremy noticed his sister's unease and moved to pull her into a hug, "He will be fine Elena, they will all be fine."

"I want to believe that, I truly do but nothing you say will convince me of that until I see him for myself." Elena told her brother, hugging him with the arm not holding onto her phone.

"They will be back soon. I am sure that he wants to see you just as much as you want to see him." Jeremy assured her, smiling down at his sleeping niece and nephew, "All of you."

"Excuse me." A voice said from the doorway, causing the four humans to turn and look, standing there was the female hybrid, Summer.

"What is going on?" Jeremy asked, he, Elena and Liz moving toward the door while April checked on the still sleeping babies.

"Parts of the house are on fire but there is nothing to worry about." The brown hair, brown eyed hybrid answered, "Are all of you alright? We saw the windows break and I can smell some blood."

"I got cut by the glass, nothing to be worried about." Liz answered, looking over the hybrid with searching eyes. The girl in front of them was splattered with dirt and blood, "What happened out there?"

"We were attacked by two dozen or so compelled vampires. The boys and I were able to take care of them." Summer answered, and then cocked her head to the side, as if she was listening to something. She smiled at them when she returned to her normal stance, "If you guys are sure you are alright, I need to get back to the cleanup."

"Just one question Summer." Elena said, stalling the hybrid from her departure, "Have you heard anything from Klaus about how things went on their end?"

"No, I haven't." Summer answered, her voice understanding, "But we are confident that they will all return unharmed."

"Okay, thank you." Elena replied with a sigh and the hybrid took off, leaving the humans alone once again.

* * *

Klaus didn't know what to expect when he pulled up the driveway to the mansion, but smoke was not a part of it. His hands gripped the steering wheel so hard he heard the plastic start to crack.

"Nik, relax, they are fine. No one could have gotten to them within Bonnie's barrier spell." Caroline said, placing her hand over his on the wheel, "Don't break the car."

"We don't know if the spell held once Bonnie lost conscious." He said through gritted teeth, he refused to even think how destroyed they would all be if the babies were hurt.

"It did, and even if it didn't. Elena owns the house, she has to invite any vampire into it and we both know she would never do something like that." Caroline tried to convince him, knowing that once he set his mind on something, it was hard to get him off of it.

"It is Elijah you should try to calm down, not me." Klaus commented, but loosened up on the steering wheel as the car came to a stop, his eyes on the review mirror.

"You are the one that I need to take care of. Besides, Bonnie still isn't awake yet, he will not be happy when he get can't through the barrier. And I am not sure I want to try to calm down an angry Elijah." Caroline said, watching as the car behind them came to a stop and blur went from it into the house.

"Actually, I think he will be very happy if the barrier is still intact. It will mean that they are unharmed." Klaus said, stepping out of the car and moving toward the door, Tyler, Damon and two hybrids were tied up in the back, he wasn't worried about them going anywhere.

"Klaus!" A voice ran from their right, it was one of the hybrids that had been left to guard the house.

"Neal, what happened?" Klaus asked, his voice low and on edge as he eyed the mansion.

"We were attacked by about two dozen vampires." The hybrid explained, "They were all compelled but are now dead."

"You killed all of them?" Caroline asked for clarification, her hand slipping into Klaus'.

"We tried to get them to stop, we offered to let them go, but all of them refused. They said they couldn't leave stop until the house was burned to the ground or Elena and the babies surrendered to them." He informed the pair in front of him, "We were left with no choice."

Klaus nodded and looked at the house again, "Did Bonnie's spell hold up?"

"Yes, for the most part. It went out for a few minutes but no one was seriously injured." He told them, "Portions of the house have some major fire damage, and almost every window is broken."

"Who was hurt?" Caroline asked, her hand gripping Klaus' tighter, though they were told no was in danger of dying.

"Your mother was cut by some glass when the windows broke, but it is nothing deep or lift threatening, I swear." Neal tried to assure her.

"I am going to go see for myself." She uttered before flashing into the house.

Klaus sighed as his eyes followed her, "Have all the fires been put out?"

"Yes sir." Neal answered quickly, "Peter and Summer are collecting all the bodies, we weren't sure what else to do with them."

"We will burn them later." Klaus responded, and turned as another car came to a stop in front of the house, "Tell them to finish up quickly, we have some guests to make comfortable in the cellar."

* * *

Elijah came to a quick stop outside of the door to the game room, the barrier was still intact, and he took that as a good sign.

"Elijah, thank God, are you alright," Elena said as she rushed to stand on the other side of the doorway, "Is everyone…"

"Alive?" He filled in for her, "Yes, with the exception of my mother." His eyes searched over her body, checking for any injuries, "Are all of you alright?" He could pick up the faint smell of blood on the air.

"Yes, Liz got cut by some glass when the shield went out for a few minutes but it is nothing to worry about." Elena assured him, "Is Bonnie alright? When the shield went down we feared for the worst."

"She is unconscious, but alive. Kol will make sure nothing happens to her." Elijah told her, "Damon and Stefan were compelled by Mikael, so they will have to remain locked away until Bonnie wakes up and we can be rid of him."

"Klaus didn't kill him then?" Elena asked, she had been afraid that he would, he had a strong hatred for both Mikael and Tyler.

"He did not kill him." Elijah confirmed, and smiled at the woman he loved.

Caroline suddenly appeared at his side, "Are you alright Elena? Neal said you all were but I needed to come make sure for myself."

"I am fine Care, we all are." Elena assured her blonde friend.

"I can smell blood Elena." Caroline pointed out, trying to look around her friend and see if she could see where it was coming from.

Liz made her way closer to the door, "I am fine Care, just a cut."

"That looks bad Mom." Caroline said, looking at the gash with worry.

"It isn't, I swear I will be fine." Liz told her daughter, "Are all of you okay? No one is hurt or dead?"

"We are all alive." Caroline answered, trying to pull off a small smile as she did.

"Then we have nothing else to worry about." Liz said with a smile.

* * *

Kol was careful as he laid Bonnie down on their bed, she still hadn't woken up and he was very worried about her. He had heard her heart beat stop after her battle with Esther. It had restarted on its own, but he was still worried that it would happen again. It was the main reason he had given her some of his blood, just encase she did die, and least this way he wouldn't lose her. Kol wasn't sure what he would become if something was to cause her to leave him. He had never felt this way about someone before, he loved her with his entire being.

"I love you Bonnie. Please come back to me." He whispered into her ear before placing a gentle kiss to her forehead. Closing his eyes as he prayed to gods he had stopped believing in centuries ago.

* * *

Bonnie's mind was filled of visions of swirling smoke and a shape in the distance, "Hello?" She called out inching closer to the figure.

The shape turned around and replied, "Hello Bonnie."

Bonnie stopped and looked over the woman carefully, there was something oddly familiar around the woman, "Who are you? Where am I? Am I dead?"

"You are not dead." The woman replied, smiling sweetly, "You are in an in-between state at the moment, you are not dead but you are on the brink. I am Ayanna, your ancestor."

"I have heard many things about you." Bonnie answered, looking at the woman with even more curiosity than she had before. Here was the woman that helped Caroline and Elena return to them and had seen the Originals when they were nothing more than human children.

"I am sure you have my dear, I have had contact with many of your friends." Ayanna stated, and took one step closer to her descendant, "But that is not what is important at the moment. You are standing at a crossroads my dear."

"What kind of crossroads?" Bonnie asked, suddenly feeling very afraid.

"Your battle with Esther nearly drained you of all of your magic. Your life hangs on by a delicate thread, one tethered to your body by the magic in vampire blood." Ayanna explained, "You need to be warned before you return to your body. Any further use of strong magic will kill you unless you can rebuild your strength. I know that you plan to return Mikael to his rightful place here on the Other Side, but conducting such a spell will kill you."

"I can't just let Mikael stay in Tyler's body. He has caused so much damage already." Bonnie informed the older witch, even though she was sure that Ayanna knew everything already, "And every witch we have talked to refuses to help us. I am the only hope we have of getting rid of Mikael without killing Tyler."

"Even so, if you conduct this spell before you are ready, which could take years, you will die and as long as the vampire blood is in your system, you will become one." Ayanna informed the young woman in front of her, "I am just giving you a fair warning my dear. You need to make sure you are ready for whatever you decide."

"Why am I being given this warning?" Bonnie choose to ask, she could feel herself starting to drift from Ayanna.

"You are special Bonnie, one of the last of the Bennett line and you were able to stop Esther from committing any further horrors onto the world." Ayanna said, "Just be sure you are prepared for the consequences of your decision Bonnie."

Bonnie wanted to say more, but other words were drifting in her mind. Words that were spoken from a familiar, yet desperate, voice, "Please, don't leave me."

Bonnie's eyes fluttered open and landed on the worried face of her lover, "Hey." She whispered and gave him a small smile.

"Oh Bonnie, I was so worried that I had lost you." Kol exclaimed and brought his lips down to hers in a quick but passionate kiss.

"It will take more than your psychotic mother to keep us apart." She replied but knew that there was still much to be concerned with, and their troubles were not yet done.


	40. End of Life Decisions

Bonnie awoke the afternoon after her evening of fighting Esther, and was not sure what to do. She hadn't told Kol about her vision of Ayanna, she didn't even know how she was even going to bring it up. She wanted sometime to herself to decide about what her life held for her. Ever since she had fallen in love with Kol, she had started planning what she wanted to do with her future. Her original plan had been to start taking some anti-aging herbs or something along those lines. She was pretty sure that Miranda and Henrik would inherit some magical ability and she was looking forward to teaching them all about how to control it.

Now, Bonnie wasn't so sure that it was what would happen. She couldn't wait years to remove Mikael from Tyler's body, maybe if it was only Tyler that was affected they could do it, but it wasn't just him. Stefan, Damon, Katherine, and five hybrids were locked in the basement because they couldn't rid them of Mikael's compulsion as long as he was alive.

And the thought of simply killing Tyler was not an option for her, he was nothing but an innocent victim in all of these, he always had been. First, he was simply a means to an end for Klaus to create his hybrids and now he was being used as a vessel for a vindictive man with homicide on the brain. Tyler had had his heart broken when Caroline returned and wanted to be with Klaus, he deserved to be free of all of them and find some girl to spend the rest of his days with.

Bonnie flinched when the door opened, breaking her from her deep and complicated thoughts. She looked up and smiled as Kol sauntered into the room, "Why did you let me sleep so much?"

"You needed the rest. Eight hours ago I was almost convinced you were never going to wake up again. Expelling that amount of magic probably did a number on you." Kol explained and sat on the bed next to her still horizontal form, "I told everyone that it could be a few days before you are able to even attempt to remove Mikael. They all understand, so don't feel pressured to push yourself or anything."

"Kol, there is some…" She started to say, but he seemed to already have an idea of what she was going to say.

"What do you need sweetheart? Food, water? Anything your heart desires I will bring it to you. Like I said, don't feel pressured and that goes for leaving the bed as well." Kol insisted and got to his feet, "Now, m'lady, command your humble servant." He said and gave her an extravagant bow.

Bonnie couldn't help but giggle at the action. Kol seemed to have a knack for lightening any mood, she couldn't help but wonder what happened in the past that gave him the idea that there needed to be someone like him in his family. She smiled up at him and said, "I would love for you to get back into this bed and keep me some company."

"Are you sure you are up for that?" Kol asked but slipped himself into the bed anyway.

"Not really, but I would love it if you would just hold me." Bonnie said and buried her head in his chest, wishing that the world didn't need to progress past this moment.

* * *

Caroline handed the cup of tea to Rebekah, "How are you doing?"

"I've been better." Rebekah answered, curling her knees up to her chest as she settled against the back of the couch. She had gone down to the basement to visit Stefan, but he had not been able to look at her. And she was afraid that it wasn't just because his compulsion was still active, forcing him to try and kill her, but because he was ashamed of her and their relationship.

Caroline sat down next to her soon-to-be sister, "It will just be a few more days, and then you can have your Stefan back."

Rebekah nodded in agreement, but asked the question that was plaguing her thoughts anyway, "Do you think this will change things between us?"

"Why would it? Do you blame Stefan for what happened?" Caroline asked, she knew that her and Bekah would have this talk at some point. Rebekah still had a lot of insecurities to work through.

"Of course not, I blame my father and mother." Rebekah responded, moving so she turned and faced the blonde next to her, "But what if he blames me? Stefan never would have been put through all of this if he wasn't involved with me. He was going to just leave town and forget all about us when Elena told him she wanted to be with Elijah. It is my fault he didn't leave."

"First, there are many different reasons for why Stefan decided to stay, and sorry to burst your bubble, you aren't the only person in this house Stefan's cares about. And second, Tyler left and he still got dragged into this. Who is to say that Stefan wouldn't have been used against us too?" Caroline defended, she really didn't need to have Rebekah freaking out right now, it wouldn't do any of them any good, "Stefan loves you Bekah."

"And I love him Care, but why would he want to be with anyone with this much drama in their life?" Rebekah asked her, looking at her friend closely, "Am I really worth it?"

"Of course you are." Caroline insisted and grabbed the other girl's hands, "Stefan wouldn't be here if you weren't. He loves you, I love you, and your brothers love you. And as long as you have us, you will never have to worry about being alone, or feeling unworthy again."

Rebekah wiped at her eyes, tears had formed as Caroline spoke. She let out a small laugh and said, "What did my family do to deserve to have you in it Caroline Forbes?"

"Magical time traveling spells and having a certain member that I just cannot resist." She teased and pulled Rebekah in for a hug. Hoping that soon conversations such as these would become nonexistent, between all members of the Mikaelson family.

* * *

Elena felt the body next to her start to stir and she held onto it tighter. She felt his chest rise with silent laughter, "We have to get up sometime. Our children will want to see us at some point."

"They are still sleeping. We would have heard them by now if the case was any different." Elena commented, knowing the baby monitor was right next to them on the night stand and turned up to full power, "We weren't the only ones with a long night remember."

"I am just glad that everyone we care about made it through last night with their lives." Elijah told her and kissed her forehead.

"Me too." Elena said and raised her head up so she could kiss him which he was more than happy to accept. Elena slowly moved her body so she was lying on top of him, giving her much better access to his lips. She pulled back a few moments and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you." He replied and brought her lips back down to his. Elijah used her distraction to reverse their positions, leaving him hovering over her, "How much time do you think we have?"

"Well, why don't we find out?" Elena asked seductively as she hooked her legs around him and brought him in for another kiss.

* * *

Caroline was laughing as she made her way into Klaus' art studio. Klaus looked up from his work, he was only drawing to try and distract himself from the situation in the basement. He smiled at the good mood she seemed to be in and asked, "What is so funny love?"

"I was just thinking as I made my way up here from seeing my mom out how messed up this past year or so has been. I can honestly say that I never thought this was going to be my life." Caroline told him and moved his notepad so she could sit in his lap. She curled her hands around his neck and smiled at him.

"I do hope that you aren't too disappointed with how your life is turning out." He said, his hands circling around her waist.

"I don't know have too much to complain about, that is for sure. I have a gorgeous fiancé, a huge family, and I live in a mansion. I could do without the dozen or so people locked up in the basement, but one can't have everything, can they?" She joked and placed a playful kiss on his cheek.

"Well, as soon as Bonnie is up to it, all those people in the basement can be on their merry way and then what will you have to complain about?" He asked, loving how much joy she could bring with in with a single conversation.

"Hmmm." She replied and kissed his jaw, slowly working her away along the line until she reached his lips. Caroline pulled back and said, "I am sure I will be able to think of something."

Klaus chuckled and captured her lips, he had never felt so many emotions at once than he did when they were together. Sometimes it took all of his self-control not to just take her all over the house, but there had been some strict rules set about such a thing once five separate couples took up residence in the mansion. He was pretty sure that since this was his private studio that he would be breaking no such rule if had his wicked way with the blonde in his arms.

Caroline pulled away from and flashed over to the door, she quickly locked it. Clearly she was thinking along a similar train of thought.

"I don't think it is possible for me to love you anymore sweetheart." Klaus told her as she slowly walked back toward him, unbuttoning her sweater has she did.

"Let's see if you still think that way when I am done with you." She teased and dropped the sweater to the floor, leaving her in nothing but a purple lace bra, before placing herself back in his lap and took his lips with her own.

* * *

Bonnie tapped her fingers nervously on her knee as she waited for everyone else to fill the room. Everyone had spent most of the morning sleeping, and the afternoon in the arms of their lover, but now night had fallen again and there were important matters to discuss. She still hadn't told Kol, or anyone else for that matter, about her vision of Ayanna. And the reason was, she didn't think anyone could be impartial enough to help her with her decision.

"Are you alright Bon?" Caroline asked from her place in the chair next to the couch that Bonnie was sitting in.

"Just a little worn out still." Bonnie told the blonde vampire, she hated to lie but she needed to make due with telling everyone at once, otherwise she wasn't sure she would ever tell at all.

"Are you sure that is all?" Caroline questioned, there was definitely something not right with her best friend, and she didn't think that tiredness was completely to blame.

Bonnie nodded her response and gave Elena a smile as she walked through the door, her arms full of a baby girl. Elijah and Klaus followed behind her, talking about something and Caroline smiled as she noticed that it was Klaus, and not Elijah that held the second child of their large family. Caroline loved knowing that she had been right about how Klaus would be with the babies, sometimes people really needed to have better faith in her instincts.

"Come on, you can't be in that much of a hurry to leave all of this luxury." Kol's voice drifted in through the door before he followed it, Jeremy, April and Rebekah came along as well.

"I think there are more than enough people living here already Kol, besides with the threat gone, I don't see a reason to." Jeremy explained to the Original, the two had redeveloped the friendship they had once shared in Denver.

"But you won't get to spend as much time with the babies." Kol tried, his eyes flickering to the other people in the room, "What does your sister think of this idea?"

Elena laughed as she was brought into the argument that she knew nothing about, "How about we discuss all of this later? I do believe this meeting has a different subject in mind than whatever you two are having a lover's spat about."

Her last comment made everyone else in the room burst to bouts of laughter, some contained and others not so much. Kol and Jeremy for their parts looked rather embarrassed and both moved as far from each other as they could. Kol joined Bonnie on the couch, sitting between her and Elena. Jeremy and April took the second empty couch, a laughing Rebekah joined them.

Klaus moved to stand behind Caroline, Henrik still bundled up in his arms and turned to look at Bonnie, "Should we start?"

Bonnie nodded and said, "I think there is something that everyone needs to know." She stopped and licked her lips, knowing that she had everyone's full attention, "When I was unconscious after my fight with Esther, I had a vision or something. I spoke with Ayanna and she told me some….disturbing things." She paused again, not sure how to continue, but with a gentle squeeze of her hand from Kol she continued, "Ayanna told me that the only reason I survived the fight in the first place was because Kol was able to get vampire blood into my system so quickly. She told me that if I try to remove Mikael from Tyler's body that it will kill me. The battle has drained my magic for years, how many she didn't say, but I got the impression that it was not just going to be few."

Bonnie stopped again and looked around at each person. Elijah looked stoic as always, and she knew he was deep in thought on the matter. April easily looked the most confused, which probably wasn't to be unexpected as she was the newest to the fold. Elena, Caroline, Rebekah and Jeremy all had expressions varying between anger, sadness and confusion. Klaus just looked plain angry, almost as if the news was more along the lines of someone running over his puppy. She saved Kol for last and honestly couldn't place what his expression held, but could see that his eyes were far off, and he was clearly lost in his thoughts.

"I am willing to do whatever it takes but I really think that this should be a family decision, not just one I make myself." Bonnie told them, "I will give you guys some time to think about it. I know it can be a lot to take in." She got up from the couch and practically ran all the way through the dining room until she pulled open the doors to the backyard. She was in some serious need for a lot fresh air, the living room had suddenly made her feel very claustrophobic.

Bonnie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to get her emotions under control. After about ten minutes, she heard a set of footsteps approaching her and she let out a sigh, "I really don't want to talk about this Kol."

"Not Kol sweetheart, and I also don't think you have a choice about whether or not we talk about this." Klaus rich voice drifted to her, causing Bonnie to turn around in shock.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, Klaus and her were never really ones to have private conversations, in fact she was sure she count the times they had on one hand.

"For some reason it was decided that I would be the best person to help you sort through your thoughts. I have the least connection to you, so it was decided that I would be the most unbiased." Klaus explained and walked over to where they had some benches around a fire pit. The benches had been damaged in last night's fire fight, but were still functional.

"Okay," Bonnie conceded, still not sure why he was here, but joined him on the bench anyway, "So, are you here to talk me into a decision or out of one?"

Klaus thought on that for a moment, "I guess it is more to get you to think about it yourself. You are making the easy choice by letting us decide your fate for you Bonnie."

"It isn't an easy decision, and it is too important for me to make by myself." Bonnie protested, she had been thinking about this all day, "Any decision I make will affect everyone in that house."

Klaus looked at her carefully, "You are right but it will affect you more than anyone else. Honestly, I can wait a few decades to rid Mikael from Tyler's body. It would be unfortunate for Stefan, Damon, Katerina and my hybrids, but it isn't like they would suffer, and vampires have a lot of time on their hands, they would get over it eventually." Klaus paused and noticed that she wasn't looking at him while he talked, "What you need to decide Bonnie is if you are ready for your life to end, or if you want to continue to live. The third option is a combination of both, the life you currently have could end but you could live on. My little brother is deeply in love with you, and he will not let you go without a desperate fight."

She answered him through gritted teeth, his assumptions that she was just giving up was laced in his tone, "I love Kol, I don't want to leave him, but I have never wanted to be a vampire. I am witch, losing that will be like losing a part of my soul. Besides, we all know that the chances of Henrik and Miranda inheriting magic are a strong possibility, they will need someone to teach them."

"And they will. Kol and Rebekah will be there to help them, and so would you be if you turned." Klaus informed her, "You are making excuses to avoid truly thinking of an answer Bonnie."

"Then let me make a few more." She said, getting to her feet and facing him, she was angry now, "Rebekah deserves to have Stefan with her, now, not in a few years or a decade. Damon and Katherine might not be my favorite people, but they don't deserve to rot in the basement, neither to your hybrids. As for Tyler, he is my friend. I have known him my entire life, and I just can't leave him to be Mikael's meat suit."

"Those are all valid excuses sweetheart." Klaus replied, he had not moved from his comfortable position on the bench, "But you are still failing to see my point. You are basing your decision on what everyone else wants, not what you want. You feel obligated to your friends to do whatever you can to free them from Mikael, but that cannot be your motivation when making end of life decisions. So I will ask you again Bonnie. What is it _you_ want?"

Bonnie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, all of his calm words suddenly flooded her entire being. He was telling her only to think of herself, to be selfish with her decision. And if she was being honest to herself, than the answer to his question was, "I don't want to die, I love being a witch and don't want that to change."

  
Klaus got to his feet and smiled at the witch in front of him, "Then go inside and explain that to your family, because that is what we are Bonnie. A family, and we will not pressure you into anything that you do not wish to do."

Bonnie locked her brown eyes on his blue ones, until that moment she had not really realized just how much Caroline had changed him and his outlook on life. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again, she had to say what she was thinking carefully. Bonnie smiled at Klaus, "I am glad you came to talk to me, you really were the best choice."

  
"I like to think I am always the best choice." He joked with a wink and offered his arm to her, "Shall we return to the others?"

Bonnie nodded and placed her hand on his elbow. She took a few deep breaths to prepare herself for what she was sure would only be disappointment.


	41. Witchy Solutions

Two weeks passed and Bonnie still had no luck finding a way to remove Mikael without killing Tyler. She had also been trying to find an alternative way to use her magic, trying to find a way around the spirits and the toll they took on her body. Kol told her about this other kind of magic, referred to by other witches as expression, but he refused to let her go down that path. It was too dangerous and led to dark places that could only be had by sacrifices.

Bonnie was currently snuggled up in Kol's arms on the couch in the game room, they were watching a movie, when an annoyed Rebekah plopped down in the chair next to them.

"We are busy dear sister." Kol sighed in annoyance.

"Well, too bad. I am crashing. Elena and Elijah took the babies out to walk around the park or something like that. And you know what Nik and Caroline are doing." She said with a roll of her eyes and turned to watch the movie.

"You're just jealous because you are the only one not getting any." Kol remarked, and immediately regretted it, "Sorry Bekah, I didn't mean it like that."

Rebekah nodded, but wiped the tears away from her eyes. She knew that Kol hadn't meant it to sound harsh, that he was just teasing his baby sister, but that didn't make it any less difficult to hear.

Both Kol and Rebekah suddenly turned and looked at the door, before sighing and turning back to the movie.

"What is it?" Bonnie asked, as the only one without supernatural hearing she had no idea what they had heard.

"Katherine wants some attention." Rebekah answered, her voice letting on that she was not pleased with the woman yelling, "I am not going down there. I don't care what she wants, we already allow her to share a cell with Damon. I feel that means we are being nice enough to her."

Bonnie could see that as a valid point. It had taken two days to convert the basement into a jail, for lack of a better term. Katherine and Damon had wanted to share a cell, even though neither could move because all the vampires and hybrids were being kept on the verge of desiccation. With the exception of Mikael, who they were just letting desiccate slowly, but that didn't seem to be having any effect on those he had compelled. But that had been two weeks ago now, if she was yelling now, Bonnie didn't see how it could hurt to talk to her at this stage in the game, "Katherine has been around a long time, what if she actually knows something that could help us?"

"Her compulsion prevents her from helping us." Kol pointed out, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Maybe not all the way, there are always loopholes to every compulsion. Maybe Katherine has figured that out, she is smart and very devious." Bonnie responded, she had dealt with Katherine many times over the years, and knew what she was capable of.

Rebekah looked at the witch next to her brother, and then switched her gaze to her brother, "You go talk to her. I can't go down there, seeing Stefan is just too hard."

Kol let out a frustrated groan as he got to his feet, "If this turns out all to be for nothing, you will pay for this little sister."

"Oh no, I am so afraid." Rebekah sing-songed with a laugh as Kol left to go deal with the vampire doppelganger in the basement.

* * *

"What do you want?" Kol asked as he stopped in front of one of the larger cells, this one was home to Katherine and Damon. Stefan's was directly next to it, and though he was the only one in it, his cell was just as big.

"I think I know how to help all of us." Katherine croaked, and she didn't even try to move from the cot she shared with Damon, her eyes the only thing that rotated to watch him.

"And why would I believe you? You are still under Mikael's compulsion." Kol said, he crossed is arms across his chest as he looked at her.

"My compulsion isn't like that Kol. I was just meant to get you to the cabin, there wasn't anything else to it. Now, I need to talk to Bonnie and Klaus." Katherine told him, slowly moving her body to look at him.

"I can't bring Bonnie down here, there is no way that is going to happen." Kol said firmly. The humans were banned from coming to the basement, if they got to close to any of the cells bad things could happen, and that was independent of how weak the vampires they dealt with were.

"Then take me up there. I am weak, I am sure I could kept under control by Elena at this point, let alone an Original." Katherine remarked, her sassiness not something that even blood loss could rid her of.

"I will take it under advisement, but wouldn't hold your breath." Kol told the brunette and started his way back up the stairs. He was pretty sure that she had somehow insulted him with that last comment.

Katherine let out a half laugh/half cough, and said, "Don't wait too long to get your permission little Mikaelson, your girlfriend's life might depend on what I know."

* * *

"You need to talk to Lucy, she is a Bennett witch and will help if you can find her." Katherine explained to the group of five in front of her, "Damon and I had no luck locating her, but maybe with all of your resources you will have a better chance."

"Just because she is a Bennett, doesn't mean she would want to help." Caroline said in return, hating that they were even listening to Katherine in the first place, but they were getting desperate.

"Witches are actually very loyal, especially to those of their bloodline." Kol defended, he used to spend a lot of time with witches before he was daggered, and then he looked at the witch standing next to him. Apparently he still liked to spend his time with witches.

"I met Lucy once, didn't I, at the masquerade party a few years ago?" Bonnie asked, looking at Katherine carefully.

"Yes, that is her." Katherine confirmed and looked at the empty glass in her hand. It had once been full of blood, she had needed it to talk to them, "Can I have some more?"

Klaus let out a short laugh, "Feel lucky you even got that much. Now, if that is all you have to say on the matter, you are going back in your cell."

Katherine pouted, but none of the people in the room were willing to give into it, "That is all I got." She said and looked back down at the cup with longing.

"Good, now are you going to go peacefully or will we need to force you?" Klaus asked, looking over the seated doppelganger with malice. He might not be able to kill the woman in front of him, but that didn't mean he had to like her.

"I will be peaceful, no need to get violent." Katherine said and stood up, giving Klaus a smirk, "Lead the way."

"No, you can go first." Klaus replied, giving her a tight lipped smile. He followed behind her as she walked out of the grand room and back toward the basement.

"I really wish we could kill her." Caroline commented once they were out of the room.

"Maybe she is actually being helpful." Rebekah said, and hoped that Katherine was right about this witch, because she really wanted to have Stefan back in her arms.

"How will we find her?" Bonnie asked, "I could try a locator spell, but I don't know if that will be too much for me or if it would even work."

"No, we won't risk that Bonnie." Caroline spoke up immediately, she wasn't even going to let Bonnie consider to sacrifice herself for this.

"Caroline is right." Kol said and looped his arm around Bonnie's waist, "We will find her the old fashion way, by looking."

"We have more than enough able bodied grunts to send out looking for her." Rebekah pointed out.

"Nik let the remaining hybrids go, he released them from the sire bond. They can do what they want now Bekah." Caroline reminded them.

"I know that." Rebekah responded, a little more harshly than she had originally meant to, "But that doesn't mean they won't help, they are still hanging around after all."

"It is a pack thing, they don't want to leave while some of their ranks are hurt or whatever." Kol told them, "I doubt it is because they like us."

"Maybe not all of us." Caroline teased, she had gotten quite a few of the hybrids on her side over the last months. She was always nice to them, never taking the control she held over them for her own devices. One of the female hybrids, Summer, had explained to her that has their alpha's mate, a word that made Caroline uncomfortable, they were bound to protect her and make her happy. That had made Caroline even more uncomfortable and had decided to never use her power, for lack of a better word, for any selfish reasons. It had ingrained her a lot of good will with the hybrids, and a few of them she even considered her friends.

"No one could hate you love." Klaus said, returning to the room and placing a light kiss on her lips.

"So what are we going to do then?" Rebekah asked, she was annoyed how they weren't even close to coming up with a decision.

Klaus resisted the urge to roll his eyes and looked at his sister, "We will do you what you suggested we do. I will ask the hybrids to go see if they can locate this witch, and in the meantime we will look for her as well. We aren't going to give up on any of them Rebekah, especially not Stefan."

Rebekah gave her brother a small smile before saying, "Thank you. Should we get started?"

Caroline laughed, "Yes, we should. I will call Elena and let her know what is going on."

* * *

**Three Weeks Later**

Elena slowly got out of the bed, her day had been exhausting, though she wasn't even really sure why, and she had decided to take a nap, but a small cry from one of her children had awoken her immediately. Though she could no longer hear the cries, she was now awake and figured that she should check on her children anyway. They were almost five months old now, and she knew that there were no longer any threats against them, but she still worried.

She stopped in the hall when she saw that the door to the nursery was open, she slowly peeked through the door. Klaus was lying in the middle of the floor on the play blanket, both children playing in front of him. They had little fabric blocks in their hands and were gently pushing them at Klaus' face. She heard Klaus let out a little chuckle before he poked Henrik in the stomach, causing the boy to let out a little giggle. Miranda took the distraction and pushed the fabric block at him again, this time getting it perfectly in his open mouth.

Klaus turned at her and said, "You are such a little sneak. I wonder which side you get that from?" He then repeated his action with her that he had with Henrik.

Elena couldn't help but let out a little giggle at the sight of her children laughing while Klaus, a man you had tried to kill her multiple times, was so gentle with them.

"Hello Elena. I didn't mean to wake you." Klaus said, as he turned around to look at her, but made no movement to get up. Her children then decided that Klaus' fingers were much more interesting than the blocks and began tugging on them. Klaus for his part didn't try to move or get them to release him, he just wiggled his fingers, which made them go into a fit of giggles again.

"You are really good with them." Elena commented and moved to sit behind her children, enjoying how happy they seemed to be.

"I wish you could try to sound less surprised." Klaus replied, keeping his voice light for the babies but giving Elena a pointed glare, "I would like to think that I have proven that I am no longer the man I used to be."

Elena looked away from his stare for a moment before looking at him again, "You have Klaus, many times over but that doesn't mean that everything you did before just fades from my memory." She said and picked up her daughter, holding Miranda in her lap as she played with the string from Elena's sweatshirt.

Klaus nodded, and realized what it was that Elena really needed to hear him say, he moved so he was sitting up, "I should have told you this a long time ago Elena." He whispered, and locked his eyes on hers, "I am so very sorry for everything I did to you from the time I arrived in town until I feel in love with Caroline. Especially for killing your Aunt Jenna, it was horribly cruel of me. Everything I did to break my curse, starting with Katerina and ending with you are some of my greatest regrets. I don't expect you to ever forgive me for killing her, or for using you as I did. But, I do hope that given the fact we are family now," He picked up dozing Henrik and placed him in his lap, "That you can at least trust me to never hurt you or these children."

Elena had to choke back some emotions, she had never expected Klaus to apologize and had accepted that. Elena carefully blinked back the tears, and with her voice barely audible said, "Thank you."

"I have changed Elena." He repeated, and cradled a now sleeping baby boy in his arms, "Caroline has made me remember the man I was, the man I was always supposed to be. And that is the man that I want these children to know, not the one that spent over a thousand years hurting people to try and fill a void. A void, that it turns out, that was all in my head to begin with."

"Then that is the man they will know." Elena promised, she could see how important it was to Klaus to have her children's love and respect, and she wouldn't do anything to tarnish that.

"Thank you Elena." He said and got to his feet. Elena followed his action, and they put their little bundles into their cribs before silently leaving the room.

* * *

Caroline flinched awake when she heard the door to the library open, and her eyes jumped to the door from her place in a window seat.

Elijah gave her a small smile, "I did not mean to startle you."

"It is fine Elijah, I didn't realize how tired I was." She replied and got to her feet, stretching as she did. The last few weeks all any of them had done was look for Lucy, and they thought they had finally succeeded. Bonnie, Kol, and Rebekah had left early that morning and she felt that with their goal close at hand that she had some right to a little relaxation.

"It has been a long a month, that is for sure." He told her and placed the book he was carrying on the only desk in the room.

"Have you heard anything from them yet?" Caroline asked, walking closer to him and leaning against the desk as he took a seat at it.

"No, but Bonnie has a lot of hope. She said that the magic was pulling her in this direction, I can only assume that is a good thing." Elijah commented as he took an account book out of the desk.

Caroline looked at with a raised eyebrow, "What is that for?"

"I need to do something to distract myself. I am setting up trust funds for Henrik and Miranda, just encase something was to happen to any of us." Elijah explained, he was never one to leave anything to chance.

"There are two stakes left Elijah and we will make sure that they are never used." Caroline tried to assure her soon-to-be big brother, "You will get to watch your children grow up."

"I appreciate your optimism Caroline, I truly do, but I will continue to plan for the worst anyway. Besides, if Miranda and Henrik choose to remain human for the rest of their lives, I want to make sure that they will want for nothing." Elijah told the blonde standing in front of him. The fact that they couldn't destroy the stakes was still something that bothered him.

Caroline smiled at him, "You are a wonderful father Elijah."

Elijah paused in his writing and looked up at her, "You know what my own father was like, it is my greatest wish to never be like that with my own children."

"And you won't Elijah. The fact that you want to protect them, no matter what may happen is proof of that." Caroline assured him, "Putting your family first is what makes you a better man than Mikael." She smiled at him again, and caught his eye, "I never had any doubt about that by the way."

"That is because you like to see the best in everyone. You have a giving soul Caroline, it is how you were able to look past everything that Niklaus has done and allowed yourself to love him." Elijah told her, truly amazed that his brother at located such a woman, "I do think that the spell Bonnie cast changed us all for the better."

Caroline nodded and then gave him a small smile. She listened intently for a moment, but couldn't hear anyone near them, "Can I tell you a secret Elijah?"

"Of course you can. What are big brothers for if not to keep their little sister's secrets?" He teased, and allowed a toothy grin to grace his features, in that moment she could see the similarities between the Mikaelson brothers.

Caroline gave a brilliant smile, she was pretty sure that this was the first time Elijah had ever referred to her as his sister, "Even before the time travel….I was very attracted to Klaus. I truly believe that this was inevitable, that eventually I would have given in and fallen for him."

"Fate has a funny way of making sure that we all end up where we need to. Though, I highly doubt that without that spell that Elena and I would have ever ended up together." Elijah said, smiling at the moment he was having with Caroline, for he wasn't sure the last time he shared anything this personal with someone other than Elena.

"You don't know that for sure Elijah." Caroline told him, "Elena has always had a fondness for you. She hated it when she helped Esther link you to your siblings, it filled her with a great amount of guilt. Besides, you can only juggle between two men for so long before you have to pick one or let go of both. Elena was well aware of that, and I don't think anyone of us can clearly say that she wouldn't have made this same choice. Though, without the spell we do know that Henrik and Miranda would not be here." Caroline let a small laugh and shook her head, "What does this matter anyway? There is no way to change what happened, and I am pretty sure that none of us would want to."

"You are completely correct there." Elijah replied and smiled at Caroline before reaching into a drawer in the desk, "Now, can I trust you to keep a secret?"

Caroline grinned at him and leaned up so she could sit on the desk, "Of course, I would never reveal my big brother's secret."

Elijah smirked at her turning his words back on him, "I was trying to think of a good time to give this to Elena." He pulled out his hand and presented an open velvet box to Caroline, inside rested a stunning diamond ring. It held one large diamond in the center with two smaller diamonds on either side.

"Elijah," She said breathlessly, and took the small box, "This is beautiful."

"Do you think she will like it?" He asked, his confidence lacking in that particular moment.

"Yes!" Caroline exclaimed and then lowered her voice a bit, "When were you thinking of giving it to her?"

"I wasn't sure if I should wait for us to be rid of Mikael or not." He told her, taking the ring and placing it back in its hiding place.

"Don't wait, not for a reason like that anyway. Only take as much time as you need to make sure it is perfect, and perfect for you, and Elena. Not perfect for anyone else." Caroline explained to him, feeling her own excitement building.

"I just feel like I have to lot to live up to after Klaus' proposal." Elijah half-joked, giving her a smile.

"That was only so perfect because of who it was, and what it meant. You and Elena have a different relationship than Nik and I do. So you should make sure that your proposal is just as different." Caroline told him, loving how she was able to help with something as important as this.

Elijah nodded and then cocked his head as he heard approaching footsteps, "Thank you for helping Caroline."

"You are very welcome Elijah. If you need anymore of it, you know where to find me." She said with a bright smile before hopping off the desk and walking back to her window seat and picking up the book she had been attempting to read before she drifted off, "Now, if you'll excuse me. I have a fiance to go find." She said with a wink before walking toward the door.

It opened before she reached it and Elena walked in, "Oh, hey Care."

"Hello Elena." She greeted, but made no move to stop her current action of leaving, "You two enjoy the rest of your evening."

"Where are you going to be?" Elena asked with a curious voice as the blonde walked past her.

"I don't know yet, but I feel like going out tonight and I have the perfect companion somewhere in this house." She said with a smirk and left the room.

Elena gave her a small, confused smile, before turning to Elijah, "What was that all about?"

"I have no idea." Elijah answered and grinned as Elena came and sat in his lap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are six chapters left! I don't have any plans this weekend so I will try to have this wrapped up by Sunday :)


	42. Goodbye Father, Hello Future

Rebekah looked at the building in front of her with suspicion, "Why would a powerful Bennett witch hide here of all places?"

"Why not pick a real estate firm in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin? I would never think to come here." Kol said, looking around the small town with wonder, "I really didn't think anywhere could seem less interesting than Mystic Falls."

"I never thought that Wisconsin would be warm, isn't it supposed to be the north? I mean even this company as 'North' in the name." Rebekah said as she felt the muggy air stick to her skin.

Bonnie laughed at the two Originals, "It is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It is July, it means it is going to be warm up here."

"Whatever, let's go inside and see if we can find her." Kol said and opened the door to the office.

Bonnie smiled as she walked up to a woman sitting at a front desk, Nancy, was written on the name plate, "Hello there."

"Hi. Welcome to Eliason Reality of the North, how can I help you?" The woman asked with a pleasant smile and a cheery voice.

"I am looking for my cousin, Lucy. I was hoping to surprise her, is she her?" Bonnie asked, keeping her voice just as friendly.

"She is at lunch right now." The woman replied, smiling at Kol and Rebekah as the came to stand next to Bonnie.

"Oh, I guess we will just wait for her then." Bonnie said, looking at Kol to see if he agreed, but before he could say anything the woman spoke again.

"I am pretty sure she is at the bar next door, maybe you can catch her there." Nancy said, thinking that they looked like such nice young people, and that Lucy could use some cheering up.

"Thank you so much." Bonnie responded, "Have a great day."

"You too, I hope you find her." The woman replied as the three turned and left.

Bonnie looked in the window of the bar connected to the real estate office, a laundry mat separated the two fronts. She spied Lucy sitting in a booth halfway along the back wall, "I see her. Let me go in first, you two follow behind and sit at the bar. If I need you, I'll call."

She didn't wait to hear what either of them had to say to her command and walked into the bar. She instantly felt that call of magic that she had felt all that time ago at the Masquerade Ball, and she smiled when Lucy turned to look at her. Bonnie was confident as she walked up to the booth that Lucy sat at, "Hello again."

"Bonnie, this sure is a surprise." Lucy said and rose to give the younger witch a hug before both of them sat down at opposite sides of the booth, "What are you doing here?"

"I need your help doing a spell." Bonnie explained, deciding it was better to just jump straight to the point, "My magic was drained while I was fighting with a very powerful witch, but there is one more spell I need to do before my friends and I can really be happy and start living our lives. Katherine suggested you. She said that you being a Bennett witch can amplify my remaining magic and that she finds you trustworthy."

"You are working with Katherine? Katherine Pierce?" Lucy asked, not believing her ears. Her eyes wandered over to Kol and Rebekah sitting at the bar, "Especially with such company as those."

"The Originals are not what everyone believes." Bonnie insisted, and sighed, "Can you please come back with me to Mystic Falls?"

Lucy let out a sigh of her own, "What spell is it that you need me to do?"

Bonnie placed a small smile on her lips, finally believing that there was some hope that this could work, "There is a….ghost, currently controlling the body of one of my friends. He is an Original, and has retained his ability to compel other vampires. We want to remove him from Tyler and send his soul, or spirit, or whatever it is back to the Other Side, without killing Tyler in the process."

Lucy sat in silence for a while as she thought over everything that Bonnie had just told her. This was a difficult spell, especially if there was no body to return the soul to, but, she did feel a sense of loyalty to Bonnie, and even Katherine in a way. She looked over at the two vampires sitting at the bar, the blonde looked anxious, while the man seemed bored. "I will come with you."

Bonnie nearly jumped from the table in joy, instead she just let her mouth turn into a huge grin, "Thank you so much. I don't know how we will ever be able to repay you for this."

"I am sure I can think of something." She responded with a smile, but it fell as the vampires came over to them.

Bonnie smiled at got up from the table, "Lucy, this is Kol and Rebekah Mikaelson, two members of the Original family."

"Nice to meet you." She said with a little reservation, the Original family was well known through most of the supernatural community, but she was friends with Katherine, and didn't see a lot of room to judge with the company her cousin kept, "I just need to stop into work and explain how I will be gone for a few weeks. Then we can go back to Virginia."

* * *

Caroline was nervous as they waited for Bonnie, Kol, and Rebekah to return from their trip with Lucy. They were all currently waiting in the ballroom, a semi-desiccated Tyler was tied to a cot in the center of the room and Kim was tied to a chair along one of the walls. She was being used as the test case, as her compulsion meant she hadn't said a word since that day in the Grill, if she could speak when Lucy's spell was done, it would mean that it had worked.

"Care, you need to stop fidgeting." Elena suddenly said, Caroline's nerves were starting to get on Elena's a bit.

"Sorry, I mean, this is just so exciting." Caroline replied, coming to stand next to her friend against the opposite wall of Kim, "We can finally be done with all of this. I can start planning my wedding without fear of something ruining it."

"Speaking of your wedding. Have you decided who is going to be your Maid of Honor yet?" Elena asked, glad that they could be talking about something normal for once.

Caroline felt herself blush a bit, "No, it is such a hard decision. I love all three of you so much, maybe I will just not have a maid of honor and just have three, equally important bridesmaids."

"Yes, okay, but how will we walk down the aisle and stand next to you?" Elena asked, teasing her best friend was fun.

Caroline let out a frustrated sigh, "Well, since Elijah, Kol and Stefan will most likely be standing up with Nik. I guess I will but you in the order that goes with his order."

"Meaning I will be first." Elena joked, smiling from ear to ear.

"That is only assuming that Nik makes Elijah his best man." Caroline pointed out, but she really didn't see much chance of that not being the case.

"Did I hear my name?" Elijah asked as he walked into the room, sliding his phone into his pocket as he did.

"You may have." Elena responded and gave Elijah a small kiss, "What did Klaus say?"

"They are on their way back from the airstrip now." He replied and looped his hand around Elena's waist. He looked over at Mikael, "I hope that this works."

"It will Elijah." Caroline insisted, her optimism was the only thing keeping her sane right now, "Soon, all you will have to worry about are those two angels upstairs."

"I think I can handle that." Elijah commented and kissed Elena on the top of the head.

* * *

Lucy was nervous as she placed one hand on either side of Tyler's head, she looked at the people surrounding her in the room. Five vampires, a doppelganger, and a witch, it was a strange mix of people. Lucy closed her eyes and began to chant, feeling the magic flow from her hands into the air around her.

She could feel some sort of power fighting against her spell and forced her magic harder, she felt a wetness around her nose. Lucy was not one to give up, and could feel the her spell trying to find a hole. A hand was placed on her forearm and her magic intensified, finally breaking through the wall that was holding Mikael's soul in Tyler's body. She could tell that her spell was working and that Mikael's soul was leaving to go back to where it belonged.

Lucy released her magic and her legs gave out, but she did not hit the floor like she was expecting, instead she caught by strong arms. Elijah carefully led her over to a chair and sat her down, and Elena brought her a glass of water. Both smiled kindly at her before going over to look at Tyler and Kim.

Bonnie was being held in Kol's arms, he was refusing to let her go again, seeing as the last time he did she went and did magic.

Klaus went over and knelt in front of Kim, "Can you speak now love?" They had given her a bit more blood than usual, just so they could be sure that she was at full health.

Kim swallowed and then opened her mouth, at first they were all afraid that no words would come out, "Yes."

Everyone in the room broke into huge smiles. Klaus quickly untied Kim from the chair and she jumped up and gave him a hug, surprising everyone in the room. She didn't seem to notice the unease and went over to talk to Lucy, to thank her.

Caroline went over and untied the restraints around Tyler's wrists and ankles and poured some blood into his mouth. She noticed that he was still unconscious, "How long will he be out for?"

"At least an hour." Klaus said, coming to stand next to her, "We will go let everyone else out of their cells, he should be awake by the time that is over."

* * *

Elena and Bonnie remained upstairs with Lucy and Tyler as everyone else went to release the others from their cells.

Rebekah raced into Stefan's cell and practically forced the blood bag down his throat. She was just so excited to finally have a chance to have him back, that she didn't even stop to think about it. Stefan sucked the bad down greedily once he had the strength. When the bag was finally empty he pulled Rebekah to him in a tight hug, he had never been happier to see another person in his life. "I am so sorry Rebekah, I never wanted to hurt you. The compulsion was just too strong."

"Hey," Rebekah said and pulled back so she could look at him in the eye, "You did fight the compulsion. You were supposed to ram that stake into my heart the second you saw one of my brothers, instead you were able to hold off doing it long enough for Elijah to get to you. Fighting like that requires a great amount of strength Stefan." She told him, meaning every word, "I am so sorry that you had to go through all of this."

"It isn't your fault. I choose to stay with you, to fall in love with you. And I wouldn't have it any other way. You are the most important person in my life Bekah, and I never want to lose you." Stefan told her, cupping her face in his hands.

"You won't Stefan." She promised and brought her lips to his, and she knew that this was the man she would love forever.

* * *

**The Next Day**

Caroline and Elena were in the kitchen feeding the babies some breakfast when Tyler came in, rubbing his neck as if he was confused.

"Hey Tyler, feeling better?" Elena asked, as she tried to place the spoon in her daughter's mouth. But Miranda was now focused on the newest addition to the room, as was Henrik.

"Yeah." He replied and looked over the babies, he had left long before anyone knew that Elena was pregnant, and so the babies were still a surprise to him.

"Oh, that's right, you haven't met the babies before." Elena said and got up from her chair, picking up Miranda as she did. Caroline followed suit with Henrik, "Tyler, this Miranda Jenna and Henrik Grayson."

Tyler took Miranda's hand with his fingers and smiled at the baby, "They are both beautiful Elena. Congratulations."

"Would you like to hold one of them?" Caroline asked, not exactly sure what was going through Tyler's mind right now.

"Not right now. Can I talk to you for a few minutes Care?" Tyler asked, looking at the baby in her arms instead of at her.

"Of course." Caroline said and put Henrik back into his seat, making sure he was in there securely before leading Tyler out onto the terrace. It was a beautiful morning, they might as well have awkward talks outside. Caroline took them to one of the many tables they had set up over the backyard, "What do you want to talk about?"

Tyler took a few seconds to respond, he was nervous about he was about to say, "Thank you, for saving me." He started and could see she was going to speak but held up his hand to stall her, "When I left, I was so angry at you for picking Klaus over me, but after what happened this morning, I can see how you have changed him." Tyler explained, "He called all of the hybrids into the library and lifted the sire bond, everyone is now free to do what they want. I never thought I would see the day when he would ever release his control over them. You changed him Caroline, your love for him as made him a better man. I can see that now, and I can see how happy he makes you." Tyler lifted up her left hand and rubbed his finger over her ring, "I am very happy for you Care."

Caroline could feel herself holding back tears, Tyler's words were exactly some of the things she had been longing to hear, "Thank you Tyler, and I know that one day you will find someone too." Tyler shyly looked away from her. "Wait, have you already found someone?" Caroline asked, smiling at the thought but then remembered that he had been locked away for a few months, "What does she think of your absence? Have you called her?"

Tyler laughed at how concerned Caroline was for someone she had never even met, "Yes, I called her last night. She is actually on her way to Mystic Falls now, she will probably get here before dinner."

"That is amazing, what is her name?" Caroline questioned, happy that her and Tyler were working their way back to a friendship.

"Hayley, she is a werewolf I met while breaking the sire bond. She really helped me deal with everything that happened when you came back." Tyler explained, and then looked nervous again, "Do you think that Klaus and Elena would be willing to help me? I really love this girl Care."

Caroline was confused for a second but then nodded, "Of course they will Tyler, you just have to ask." Caroline told him, "I know, why don't the two of you join us for dinner tomorrow night? That way we can all meet this woman you love and you can ask for your favor."

"Are you sure they will agree?" He asked, still unsure.

Caroline smiled at him, "Even if you weren't a friend Tyler, we owe you. You never would have had to go through any of this if it wasn't for this dysfunctional family."

"The only person I am going to blame is Esther." Tyler told her, "She is the one that made vampires in the first place."

"I am glad we can talk like this." Caroline said with a smile, "I was worried you were going to remain angry at me forever."

"I think that may be an impossibility Caroline." Tyler joked with a laugh.

"Care! Are you ready to go?" Rebekah called from the dining room door, smiling as she waved over at them.

"Yeah Bekah, I will be right there." She called back, and looked at Tyler, "Are you going to stay with us?"

Tyler laughed at the silliness of that question, "No, Hayley and I are going to stay with my mom, but we will see you tomorrow for dinner I promise. Where are you going?"

"Rebekah has insisted that we start our normal lives right away. So, she made an appointment for us in New York to go bridesmaid dress shopping." Caroline told him, and smiled as she got to her feet, "I really am glad you are here Tyler."

"Me too Care." He said and gave her a hug before they parted ways.

* * *

Caroline, Liz and April giggled as the other people of their group came out wearing the three most different dresses they could find.

Rebekah was wearing a strapless yellow, full length dress with a sweetheart neckline and flower on her left hip. Elena was wearing a blue dress that ended just above the knee, the straps went over her shoulder and had lace cap sleeves, there was a black ribbon around her waist, and the back was deep vee. Bonnie was wearing a strapless silver full skirt, knee length dress with black flowers around the hem and a black ribbon under her chest, which was ribbed and fitted perfectly.

Caroline wasn't even sure about the color scheme for her wedding yet, but she wanted it to be simple and elegant. For some reason, she felt drawn to the dress that Bonnie was wearing, and found it something no one would expect. She looked at her mother before looking back at them and saying, "I like Bonnie's the best."

Rebekah and Elena both looked surprised, but neither was going to argue with Caroline, this was her wedding after all. Both of them turned around and went to grab the same dress as Bonnie and put it on.

As they were gone, Caroline turned to April, "I want you to go find a dress too. A different one than them, but try to keep it in the a black/white/grey color scheme."

"Why?" April asked, but she got to her feet anyway.

"Miranda is going to be the flower girl, but she is far too young to walk down the aisle by herself. I would love it if you would be the one to accompany her." Caroline told her the young girl standing in front of her.

"I would be honored Care." April said and knelt down to give Caroline a hug before she disappeared into the rows of dresses.

"When are we going to get you a wedding dress?" Liz asked, as they awaited for everyone else to return.

"I was wondering the same thing." Bonnie commented, being the only one still present as she was already wearing the dress.

"Bekah claims she has that already all figured out and that we all need to clear our next weekend." Caroline informed them, "So, my guess is that we will be having another trip."

"I find it funny that we are getting our dresses before you have even picked a date for the wedding." Bonnie said as she swirled a bit in her dress.

"I know right. I always wanted to be one of those girls that had a June wedding, but I would have to wait a year to get married, and I don't think I want to wait that long. But I do want to keep the wedding outside, so I was thinking of going for the last weekend in September." Caroline explained and watched as Liz and Bonnie suddenly became even more excited.

Their excitement grew when Elena, Rebekah and April walked out. Elena and Rebekah walked out in the dress that Bonnie was wearing. April had picked a dress of similar length with a white panel down the front while black made up the rest of the dress.

Caroline felt tears prick at her eyes, "You all look perfect."

* * *

Elijah was nervous as he paced around the mansion foyer, tonight everything was going to change. He had taken Caroline's advice, and he felt like now was the perfect time, all he had to do was wait a few more minutes.

"I can feel your nerves from my room brother, relax a little." Klaus said as he came down the stairs to stand with his brother, "How about we get a drink? It might help to calm you a bit."

"Did you feel like this?" Elijah asked, hoping that he wasn't just freaking out for no reason.

"Yes." Klaus answered and handed Elijah a glass of scotch, "But those nerves are worth it in the end. As we are speaking about my engagement, I wanted to ask you something." Klaus took a long drink before asking, "Will you be my best man?"

Elijah smiled, he had somewhat been expecting this, but that didn't stop the pride he felt anyway, "Of course."

Klaus just nodded but the smile on his face was enough for Elijah to know that he was very happy with the decision, "Now, what are you nervous about? You have two children together, I don't see her running for the hills."

Elijah shifted on his feet and took a drink before answering, "Agreeing to marry me means that she will have to turn someday if we truly want to be together forever, and I am still not sure she is ready for that."

Klaus could understand where is brother was coming from with that frame of mind, "You have years to worry about that Elijah, Elena is only nineteen."

"I know, and I was 27 when we were turned, but that doesn't change the fact that I am worried that she might never want to turn. I can't lose her." Elijah stated, knowing he was letting some emotion shine through, but he trusted his brother, now, and knew he had no need to hide his fears.

"You won't." Klaus said with certainty, "We are going to be a family forever, and nothing can break us apart again."

"I see some of Caroline's optimism has worn off on you brother." Elijah said with a smile as they heard the car pull up the drive. Elijah suddenly felt all of his nerves return in full force.

"Don't worry about it Elijah, she will say yes and the rest of us will take care of the babies tonight. There is nothing that is going to ruin this evening for you." Klaus assured his older brother and clapped his hand on his shoulder, as a show of support, "You turned the ballroom into a perfect getaway without leaving home, she will love it."

* * *

Elena was deadly curious as to why Caroline had forced her to put on an elegant black lacy dress, it was full length and skin tight. She kept asking for answers, and all Caroline would say is that a surprise was waiting for her at home. Bonnie pulled their car into the parking spots in front of the house, and Elena asked, "Can you please just tell me what is going on?"

"No, you will find out when we get inside." Caroline told her for the last time, Bonnie and Rebekah were just as clueless as Elena. Elijah had wanted it that way, it ensured that it stayed a secret until he was ready for it to come out.

The four girls piled out of the chair and began walking up to the mansion. Rebekah and Bonnie walked right in, not noticing that Elena was lagging behind, but Caroline did. The blonde turned to look at her friend, "What is the matter? Aren't you curious what the dress and all the secrecy is about?"

"I have an idea about what is going on Caroline." Elena muttered, and looked at the house with a smile, "He is going to propose."

"I cannot confirm or deny nothing, just go inside and see. Stop stalling or he is going to think that something is wrong." Caroline insisted and curled her arms around Elena's and brought them closer to the house, "You look beautiful by the way Elena."

"Thank you." Elena said, and asked, "You picked this dress out, didn't you?"

"I may or may not be in on helping to plan this little surprise for you." Caroline mentioned as the walked in the door and saw Klaus and Elijah standing there. Elijah in a full, three-piece black suit and Klaus in a t-shirt and jeans, "I will see you in the morning, and don't worry about the babies. Nik and I will take care of them."

"Thank you again Caroline." Elijah said, but his eyes were trained on Elena, taking in how beautiful she looked in that dress.

"It really was no problem." Caroline commented as she took Klaus' hand and the pair of them walked up the stairs.

Elena watched them go and then smiled at Elijah, "What is all of this about?"

"Let me show you." Elijah said and took her hand in his before leading her into the ballroom.

Yesterday it had been nothing but an empty shell, but now it was decked out in twinkling lights, candles, and roses. In the center of the room was a small table, set for two and completely romantic. Elena felt her breath leave her body as she took in all of the splendor that filled the room. Elijah held her hand and led her toward the table, but stopped before they actually reached it.

Elijah paused and turned to look at the woman that held his hand, "Elena, I love you with my entire being. I never knew that is was possible to love another soul as much as I do for you, and for our beautiful children. I spent a thousand years without you once, even though I was not consciously aware that I was missing you, and I don't want to spend another second without you." He knelt down on one knee and pulled out the ring out of his pocket, "Elena Gilbert, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Elena wasn't even embarrassed about the tears that were slowly falling down her face, she had never been happier to be right about a surprise in her life, "Of course I will marry you. I have loved you more than I have ever thought possible."

Elijah slipped the ring onto her finger and rose to his feet, bringing her in for a long, passionate kiss.


	43. Three Nights Full of Surprises

Klaus was annoyed that he was being forced to go through with this dinner, but Caroline had told him it was important, and he really had trouble saying no to her. The only good thing about his dinner was Elijah was forced to endure it as well, all because Elena's presence was required as well. He had tried to get Kol and Rebekah to attend too, but they both claimed that they had long standing plans with Jeremy and April. He highly doubted it, but decided to let it go. Caroline said it was for the best, that way Tyler and Hayley wouldn't feel ganged up on or threatened.

"Please, just listen to what he has say. We owe him for what happened with Mikael." Caroline reminded him as they sat at the dining room table, it was already set and all they were doing was waiting for their guests.

"I will not kill him or his little wolf girl, I promise you that love." Klaus replied and kissed her knuckles just as a knock sounded on the front door.

"I will go get that, you call for Elijah and Elena." She said and sped off toward the entry way. She straightened her casual, but cute, blue dress and opened the door. She smiled at Tyler and took in the girl that stood next to him. She was pretty, with long, full, dark hair and deep brown eyes, "Welcome."

"Thanks." Tyler responded, and turned to look at the girl next to him, "Caroline, this is Hayley."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Tyler has told me only good things." Caroline said and held out her hand to shake.

Hayley looked at her hand for moment before she shook it, "I wish I could say the same things about you Caroline."

"Hayley." Tyler scolded through clenched teeth.

"Happy to see you didn't find a girl that is a pushover Tyler." Caroline responded, her voice now with an edge, "Come in, both of you. Dinner should be ready soon."

Tyler and Hayley both entered the mansion, Hayley looking at it with a mixture of awe and disgust. Caroline could already tell that this dinner was going to be laborious, and already wished it was over.

Elijah and Elena chose that moment to come down the stairs, they were smiling and holding hands. Caroline grinned at the sight, she knew that Elena was ecstatic at finally being engaged to Elijah, though they were in less of a rush to get married than Caroline was. Elena had decided on a long engagement, she wanted her children to be able to take full part in her wedding, more than what Caroline had in mind for them.

"Hi Tyler." Elena said as the reached the bottom of the stairs, "This must be Hayley, I am Elena." She held out her hand for Hayley to shake, and she was much more ready than she had been with Caroline. Elena smiled at the girl and then turned to say, "This is Elijah, my fiancé."

"You too Elena?" Tyler said, surprised at this announcement and Elena held up her hand to show him.

"That is a beautiful ring." Hayley commented, and her voice seemed sincere, though Caroline caught a hint of something else in her voice.

"Congratulations to you both." Tyler told them and looped his hands around Hayley's waist.

"Dinner is ready." Klaus said, coming out of the dining room, he didn't wait to see if anyone responded to him and turned back around.

Elijah smiled and moved so he had a hand on the lower back of both Elena and Caroline, and began leading them into the dining room. He leaned down and whispered into Caroline's ear, "I will make sure no one dies."

"Thank you." Caroline replied, and wasn't sure who exactly he would have to stop from killing whom.

Klaus had poured himself and Elijah a large glass of scotch, while everyone else had a glass of wine in front of their plate. Elijah and Klaus were seated at the heads of the table, while Elena and Caroline were each seated to their right. Leaving Tyler and Hayley to sit directly across from them, Tyler took the chair to Klaus' left and Hayley to Elijah's.

The dinner started off quietly and awkwardly, they got through the salads without saying a single word. The silence started to wear on Elena, so she said, "So, Tyler, how long have you known Hayley?"

"A little over a year, we met soon after I left town to go break the sire bond." He cast a glare in Klaus' direction before turning back to look at Elena, "She helped to make sure I didn't hurt anyone when I turned. Turned werewolves won't hurt another werewolf, she was someone I couldn't hurt." His eyes flickered to Caroline for a moment, as if he was silently apologizing for hurting her, "But we didn't fall in love until I left the second time, after you two came back from the past." He took Hayley's hand and brought it to his lips, smiling at her before he released it.

"That is such a sweet story." Elena replied, she was always a sucker for a good love tale, like she felt her and Caroline shared with their fiancés.

The maids brought in their main course, leaving them in silence once again, but this time it was much more comfortable. Hayley broke the silence once the food was cleared, "Tyler tells me that you two have twins. How exactly is that possible? He tried to explain it to me some, but I'd like to hear it from the source."

"Our friend Bonnie was trying to cast a spell that would reveal who the founder of Caroline, Damon, and Stefan's bloodline was. To do that, she needed blood from the line, which Caroline provided and the blood of the doppelganger, which is me. The spell didn't do exactly what we wanted though, instead it sent both of us to the time that the bloodline started, meaning to the past when Esther first made them vampires. Caroline and I were stuck back there for eight months, and for most of that time the Originals were humans." Elena explained, knowing that even for Tyler some of this might be new, she didn't know how much was explained while they were gone. Elena smiled at Elijah and took his hand, "Elijah and I feel in love slowly over that time, but, as it tends to do. A few things happened and when we returned here to the present, I was pregnant."

Hayley looked a little surprised by the story, and Elena wasn't sure why but then Hayley spoke again, "How were you able to move past that happened to you here, before you went back in time? I mean, haven't they all tried to kill you? How could you trust them?"

Elena saw both Klaus and Elijah tense at her words, but Caroline gave Klaus' hand a gentle squeeze and he relaxed, but continued to stare daggers at Hayley. Elijah slowly calmed down all on his own, always one to have great control over his emotions.

Elena took a moment to reply and said, "Things were different back then, the people were different back then. It wasn't hard to trust people if you took away your preconceived notions of the type of people you knew they would become."

"Everyone is capable of change, all you have to do is prove to them that they are worthy of it." Caroline spoke up, her eyes lingering on Klaus as she spoke before she turned to Hayley, "Tyler has seen the proof of that, otherwise you wouldn't be here right now."

Elena nodded at Elijah, who took a vial of blood out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Hayley. She looked at it with a confused expression as she took it into her own hand, "What is this?"

"My blood." Elena replied and took a sip of her wine, "You are going to need to it if you truly want to stay with Tyler forever."

Tyler smiled at her, "Thank you Elena."

"We've known each other our entire lives Tyler, it is the least I can give to a friend." She responded, and smiled at him.

"I thought you weren't going to tell anyone Care?" Tyler asked, not upset, just curious.

"And I didn't. They aren't idiots Tyler." Caroline responded with a laugh before she drank the rest of her glass of wine.

Tyler nodded and then looked at Klaus, "Do you agree as well?"

Klaus took a long pause before answering, "I need to hear you ask."

Tyler swallowed at looked angry for a moment before he said, "Klaus, I am asking you to do me a favor. I don't want to spend entirety alone and Hayley is who I want by my side. Please, make her a hybrid free of your sire bond."

Hayley was looking as if she was ready to attack if he gave any answer other than yes, and Tyler's face looked like he had eaten something rotten. Elijah, Elena, and Caroline were waiting with interested expressions, none were really sure what his answer was going to be.

Klaus himself looked deep in thought, though he had already made up his mind on the subject the second he had heard about Tyler's little wolf girl from Caroline. He wasn't an idiot, like Caroline had said, he knew what the point of this dinner was. He had many reasons for the answer he was about to give was, but the most important one was it would ensure that Tyler was forever out of their lives, at least out of it romantically. Klaus slowly finished off his second glass of scotch before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a vial of blood. He smirked at the surprised look on Tyler's face as Klaus handed him the vial, "Here you go mate, use it wisely."

* * *

Caroline found herself laughing so hard as she fell onto her bed, "The look on their faces when you handed him that vial of blood was priceless." She continued to laugh, finding tears coming to her eyes at the intensity of it. She slowly managed to calm herself down and looked over at him, he was standing near the window, "When did you decide that you would let Hayley turn?"

"Almost immediately after I heard about her." He replied and moved to lay on the bed next to her.

"Why?" Caroline asked next, moving so she was straddling his hips and started unbuttoning his shirt, "You hate Tyler, why make him happy?"

"Because seeing your friends happy, makes you happy." He responded, purposely avoiding his true reason, and started to rub his hands over her naked legs at his side, "And I live to make you happy."

Caroline bent down and gave him a lingering kiss before pulling back and removing her dress over the top of her head. She looked down at him, "Nice try, but I know you are keeping something from me." She said as she traced fingers over his exposed chest.

Klaus huffed out a sigh but answered anyway, "I thought that if he had Hayley, and he truly wants her, that he can finally be away from you."

Caroline sighed as she looked at her fiancé, "I have told you how many times that Tyler isn't an issue. I love you, I am going to marry you."

"And I've told you, my paranoia runs deep, it will take centuries to get to that secure place you want me to be love." He informed her, running his hands over her naked waist, "But I am trying."

"I know you are." Caroline said and smiled as she kissed him. Laughing again as he flipped them and started to take control of the situation.

* * *

**Bachelorette Party**

Caroline wasn't sure why she had let Rebekah, Bonnie, and Elena plan her bachelorette party. She knew it was their job, as her joint maids of honors, but that didn't mean she was looking forward to this surprise. It caused her to her think lots of different scenarios, especially since it required a plane ride. Katherine and April were the only other ones brought along for this, and the inclusion of the former was still a bit of a surprise to Caroline. Rebekah had warned her of it beforehand, claiming that it was a favor for Stefan. Apparently Damon and Katherine wanted to be full members of the extended, and complicated, Mikaelson family. Both were somewhat connected already, through blood and relationships, but they wanted to prove that could be trusted, and therefore included.

"So, is there a reason you can't tell me where we are going now?" Caroline asked as the pilot announced they were getting ready to land.

"Look out the window and see for yourself." Rebekah suggested as she reclined on the couch of their private jet.

Caroline rolled her eyes but did as she was told and lifted the shades off of the windows. Her eyes were stunned by the lights that flooded in the windows, night had just fallen over the city. Even though she had never been, she knew the city from the movies, "Las Vegas! My bachelorette party is in Las Vegas!"

"I told you she would like it." Elena whispered into Bonnie's ear as Caroline continued to scream her excitement.

As the plane continued its decent, and Caroline reined in her excitement, Katherine asked, "Aren't the bachelorette parties supposed to be a few days before the wedding? You aren't getting married for nearly three weeks."

Caroline rolled her eyes but answered the vampire, "I will need all that time to make sure every detail is ready for the wedding. There will be no time for parties." And then she added, "Besides, I plan to get very drunk and no one wants to be hungover for their wedding. Which is why I told Kol that the bachelor party needed to be at least three days before the wedding."

"Why is Kol planning the bachelor party? I thought that Elijah was the best man." April asked as she felt the wheels touch down.

"Elijah felt that Kol would give them a better time." Elena answered before adding with a laugh, "I also think he had no idea what to do."

"We do not have that problem." Rebekah told them in a super excited voice as the plane came to a stop and the flight attendant opened the door, "We have a car waiting to take us to the casino, where we are booked for three days."

"Bekah! I can't stay here for three days, there is so much to do for the wedding!" Caroline complained, but couldn't help to smile at the extra-long and wide limo waiting at the end of the stairs.

"It is just encase we are having too much fun to leave." Rebekah replied, and then smirked at them, "Besides, I doubt all of us want to spend three days away from our guys, or children." She added the last bit as she looked at Elena.

"Hey! We are not talking about our men or my children tonight." Elena replied as she bounded down the steps and headed toward the limo, "Tonight is all about celebrating Caroline's soon to be nuptials."

"We could make is a joint a party, and celebrate yours too." Caroline suggested, wiggling her eyebrows as she slid into the limo after Katherine.

"No, this is all about you. I haven't even set a date yet." Elena responded as she followed the blonde into the car, "Besides, this will give us an excuse to do this again someday."

"Now Elena is thinking." Katherine cheered and handed each girl a glass of champagne as they settled into the limbo, "Here's to Caroline!"

"To Caroline!" The others cheered before drinking from their flutes, and the car began to move.

Caroline couldn't keep the smile off her face as they drove down the Strip. The lights were dazzling and she wanted to remember every detail she could, the first time in a new place was always the one you remembered the most. "Where are we staying?"

"The MGM Grand." Rebekah responded, "But we have full access to every casino, that is what having a lot of money brings you."

"Do you have something that we will show to prove we are able to even be here?" April asked, as she finished her drink, "You can't compel everyone, and none of us exactly look 21."

"Already taken care of." Bonnie said and pulled out a bunch of wristbands from a container near the champagne, "I emailed the limo company a bunch of fake IDs, claiming that we are all 21."

"Yep, and encase anyone asks for them." Elena said slipping some cards out of her purse and handed one to each of the girls, "All of our names are the same, since no one knows us here there was no reason to lie."

"Katherine Gilbert?" Katherine asked, reading over her ID and looking at Elena.

"We are twins today, deal with it." Elena replied with a tight lipped smile, she hated her ancestor's attitude most of the time.

"Hey, no fighting tonight!" Caroline demanded and looked between the two identical appearing women, "Tonight is all fun, nothing else. The past doesn't matter while we are in Vegas. Now, it's time to have some fun!" She said and downed the rest of her drink.

* * *

Caroline wasn't sure she was going to be able to remove her clothes as she stumbled into her room. Rebekah had got them each their own room, a very nice room too, Caroline thought as she approached the bed. They had spent the whole night drinking, gambling, and dancing through many of the casinos that were along the famous Strip. Caroline almost screamed when she took in a form already occupying her bed. "What are you doing here? This is a girls weekend, no boys allowed." She informed him, but couldn't help but be happy that he was there, "How did you find us anyway?"

"Rebekah used one of my credit cards to fund this little weekend. I had no intention of coming and invading your girls only weekend, but then I got this lovely little message on my phone." Klaus replied and pushed a button on his phone.

Her voice sounded loopy and drunk as she said, _"Nik, I love you soooooooooooo much. If you were here we could be having so much fun in my private hotel room. Katherine says that I should play the field a bit more before settling down, but I don't think she understands…."_ Bekah's voice come on next, sounding just as intoxicated as Caroline, _"Caroline Forbes! You are not allowed to call my brother, hang up now. Kat found a flyer for a really exclusive male strip club."_ The phone went dead.

"It was a fun strip club." She cooed as she took in his scowling face, and pouted at him, "Oh, come on, turn that frown upside down. You are here now, and I am happy you are, because seeing all of those naked men just made me think about how none of them are nearly as handsome as my fiancé." She replied and stood at the foot of them bed, "Now, are you going to help me get out of this dress or are you going to force me to take a very cold, cold shower?"

Klaus didn't waste anytime in standing next to her and just ripping the clothes off her body. He roughly pulled her to him, "You are mine love, no one else gets to ever touch you."

"Same goes for you." She told him and pushed him away from her, causing him to fall backwards onto the bed, "And don't you ever forget it."

* * *

"Nik you are not supposed to be here." Rebekah told her brother when he answered the door to Caroline room the next morning. Her hands went to her hips and she frowned at him, "Now go away. I have a very busy day and then night planned, you are not invited."

"I only do as am I commanded by one woman Rebekah, and you are not her." Klaus replied and smiled as he heard Caroline get up from the bed, "I will leave if Caroline wants me too."

Caroline came up and stood next to him, clothed in one of the fluffy white robe, "I do enjoy having you here, but Rebekah is right. This is a girl's weekend, so you should go home. And if I happen to drunk call you again, you are to ignore it and stay away."

"That won't be any fun, but I will go home." He said and gave her a long kiss before turning to go back into the room.

"You are going to need to bring a swimsuit." Rebekah told her, and looked her up and down, "Go put on some clothes, everyone else is ready. We have a spa date in twenty minutes."

"Right away Captain." Caroline teased as she closed the door, and turned around, already smiling at how fun this weekend turned out to be.

"Enjoy this while you can love. I am not sure I will ever let you leave me again once we are married." Klaus told her, bringing her in for another kiss.

Caroline laughed at him, but kept her arms around his waist, "You can't keep me all to yourself forever. There will still be Elena's bachelorette party, and probably Rebekah's, Bonnie's, and April's too."

"We will see." Klaus replied and turned her back towards the bed.

Caroline giggled, "No, I only have 15 minutes, and you know that isn't enough time for what you have in mind. Besides, I don't need anyone being upset with me. I will let you lock me in the bedroom for an entire day if you like."

"Oh, you are going to regret saying that love." He whispered into her ear before he flashed from the room, leaving her a smiling mess of giggles.

"Men, so easy." She commented to the room as she pulled on some clothes, still laughing as she did.

* * *

**Bachelor Party**

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting you to bring us here." Klaus commented as he took in the familiar sights of New Orleans.

"We had so much fun here once, I thought that we could continue the tradition." Kol informed his brother, "Besides, I was given the impression that we would have some real fun where we are headed."

"It isn't going to be anything…bloody? Is it Kol?" Elijah asked, he knew that Kol had settled down a bit since we got together with Bonnie but that didn't mean he had changed his opinion of fun.

"I wouldn't have brought Jeremy along if that was the case." Kol responded, a little insulted that his brothers still thought of him as their trouble-making little brother, "I highly doubt the women folk would enjoy it if we did that anyway."

"Women folk?" Klaus repeated with a laugh, and just shook his head as they continued to drive. And then sat up straighter as their destination came into view, "Does he know we are coming?"

"Of course he does. He was actually the one that suggested this. He called me after he got your wedding invitation, and said that the bachelor party was something he would have to witness for himself." Kol explained and pulled into the parking lot, a second car parking next to them.

A young man with dark skin walked out of a door at the side of the building, and stood there smiling as he watched the men get out of their cars.

Klaus went up and embraced the man, "Marcel, it has been a long time."

"I agree, and apparently you have changed. Getting married? That, I can honestly say, is something that I never thought I would see." Marcel replied and turned to look at the others standing there, "Kol, Elijah, good to see you again."

"Marcel." Elijah nodded curtly, he had never been the biggest fan of Klaus' favorite protégé.

"Allow me to introduce you to the Stefan and Damon Salvatore, as well as Jeremy Gilbert." Klaus said, pointing out the three other members of their party.

"I have heard of the Salvatore brothers." Marcel commented, and then introduced himself, "I am Marcel, I oversee all of the supernatural happenings of New Orleans." He said with a smile and then added, "Now, who wants to have some fun?"

* * *

Klaus rolled his eyes as Jeremy, Stefan and Elijah called it a night and disappeared into the early morning darkness to return to their hotel across the street. "Party poopers!" Kol yelled after them before falling into the chair next to Klaus, "You aren't going to call it quits so early too are you?"

"Wouldn't dream of it little brother." Klaus responded, and looked over to the bar. Damon and Marcel were deep in conversation about something, and Klaus was actually surprised that the two were getting along so well.

Damon then smiled and made his way over to join the two brothers, his smirk firmly remaining as he sat down.

"What are you up to mate?" Klaus asked as he noticed Marcel whisper something to the bartender, who then yelled for last call as Marcel slipped into the back.

"With the three buzz kills gone, Marcel and I thought the four of us could have a real party, with the right kind of drinks." Damon told them, his smirk growing as he saw the realization come over their features.

Kol looked excited but nervous at the same time, he hadn't fed from the vein in months. With most of Mystic Falls taking vervain, and with little opportunity to travel, he had missing out on the fun.

Klaus was on a similar thought path as his brother, but couldn't help to think that Caroline probably wouldn't approve of this. He was wondering if not telling her about it was the same as lying, which he promised to never do. Klaus decided to have the fun, and apologize for it later, if he had to. He wouldn't kill the girl that Marcel was no doubt bringing, therefore, he felt he had nothing really to apologize for.

Marcel returned within five minutes of him leaving, and returned with four beautiful young women. The girls were all slightly intoxicated, but they didn't seem compelled either. Marcel led the girls over to the table that his three companions were sitting at, "Klaus, Kol, Damon, these lovely ladies were kind enough to agree to stay behind for a private party. They are sorority sisters going to the University."

"A pleasure." Kol said and eyed the only blonde eagerly, taking in her skinny jeans and low cut purple top. He got up and held out his hand, "I am Kol."

The blonde blushed and giggled as one of her sisters nudged her, "I am Clarissa."

"Beautiful name." He responded and took her hand, leading her over to a different table.

Damon raised his eyebrows at Klaus, "How nice of him to take first pick, it is your party after all."

"His choice was alright with me." Klaus said, he wouldn't be able to feed off of blonde ever again, not after being with Caroline. He was eyeing a girl with dark hair, and green eyes. He rose from his seat and held out his hand, "I am Klaus."

"Lisa." She replied and smiled seductively at him, and placed her hand in his. Klaus led her over to a separate table, as Damon and Marcel did with the remaining two girls. Lisa sat down and crossed her legs, her skirt rising up and showing some more skin, "What are you celebrating? I overheard your friend saying this was your party."

"I am getting married next weekend, this is part of my bachelor party." He answered honestly, it was not worth lying to her, she would not remember any of this in a few hours.

"And you are picking up a girl at a bar? That isn't very faithful of you." She said, her voice letting on her disappoint at his apparent lack of morality.

"Who said anything about being unfaithful?" He asked, and saw her face flicker with confusion. He smirked and locked his eyes on hers, "Stop talking, and don't scream." She nodded as the compulsion overcame her. Klaus inched his chair as close to her as he could, and moved her long hair off her shoulder, revealing her smooth neck. His fangs fell and he sank them into her neck, letting her smooth blood coat his throat. He felt ecstatic as he let the feeling overcome him, and he brought the girl to the brink of death before he pulled back. Licking the blood of his lips, he cut his wrist and let his blood fill a glass before he compelled her to drink it.

He felt his phone vibrate and took it out, noticing that he had received a text from Caroline. He instantly felt guilt as he looked over at the bloody girl sitting next to him. He tried to push it aside as he read the message, "I don't want to interrupt your fun, just wanted to wish you a good night. I love you." He noticed that the time stamp said he had gotten it nearly four hours earlier, but his guilt was slowly working on him.

He quietly excused himself from the bar, but the three vampires were too engrossed in their own meal to notice he had finished his. Once out in the back alley, he took out his phone and called his fiancé.

Caroline answered on the third ring, her voice was groggy, "Hello?"

"Sorry to wake you love." He replied, and was suddenly regretting his decision to call.

"No problem Nik. How is the party going?" She asked, her voice gaining some of its usual tone as she woke up more.

"Over now, but I needed to speak to you before I went to sleep for the day." He told her and sighed, "I just don't want you to hear it from someone else, I know Damon can have a big mouth."

"What happened?" Caroline asked, and she could hear his concern.

Klaus nervously tapped his finger, "I may have fed off a girl once the party was over, I did not kill her." He quickly added the last part, making sure she knew that it was an important fact.

Caroline laughed for a few minutes, which let Klaus utterly confused. When Caroline was finally able to control herself she said, "Nik, I don't care if you want to feed from the vein. I never asked you to only use blood bags, and I never would. I love you for who you are and I would not ask you to change for me." She explained, "I do love how you felt guilty about it though."

"I felt like maybe you would think I was betraying you." He informed her, feeling a little like laughing himself at how he let his insecurities overrule him once again.

"Did you sleep with this girl you fed on?" She asked, knowing that sometimes blood lust could led to sexual lust.

"Of course not." Klaus responded, grimacing at the thought.

"That is the only way you could ever betray me." Caroline assured him and let out a yawn, "Now, I don't know about you, but here it is five in the morning and I would like to go back to bed."

"Of course love. Sleep well, I love you." Klaus told her, his chest feeling so much lighter now that he had confessed his worries to her.

"And I love you. See you in a few days." Caroline responded before hanging up the phone.

Klaus, still laughing at himself went back into the bar to enjoy what was left of the night.


	44. A Good Day for a Wedding

Caroline let out a breath as she looked at herself in the full length mirror, her hair done in perfect cascading curls, with the veil falling gently down her back onto the floor. The dress itself was everything she could have ever hoped for it to be, the perfect example of an elegant, Southern Bell ball gown with a flare. She had a corseted sweetheart bodice with an intricate pattern detailed into it with jewels, they also formed a belt at her waistline, the center was a small rose about the size of a silver dollar. The skirt consisted of five, overlapping layers that started at her waist before fanning out when it reached the floor, the edge of each layer was also detailed with jewels, she had a small hoop in it to keep the dress full. She felt, and looked like a princess, especially when you added in the jewelry. The bracelet he had given her on her birthday graced her left wrist, while a matching necklace and earrings had been added.

"You look so beautiful." Liz commented as she came to stand beside her daughter, tears in her eyes.

"I almost feel as if this is a dream." Caroline replied, still unable to take her eyes off her reflection in the mirror, "If you pinch me will I wake up and discover that this was all something I made up?"

"You deserve all of this Caroline, it is no dream." Liz reassured her daughter before the door opened and in walked the three bridesmaids.

All three were wearing the grey dress with black detailing they had picked out months earlier, as well as identical necklaces, earrings, and bracelets all made with real black jewels and diamonds. Their hair was all done in curled up-dos.

Elena smiled as she took in the vision that Caroline made, "You look stunning Care."

"I couldn't agree more, Nik is not going to be able to speak when he sees you." Rebekah said, moving further into the room and pouring each of the women a glass of champagne.

"I hope that isn't true, he does have somethings he has to say during the ceremony." Caroline said with a laugh and a smile.

"'I do' might be the only words he will be able to utter." Bonnie smirked as she took her glass from Rebekah.

As each of them held their glasses, Liz said, "I would like to toast my beautiful, extraordinary daughter. I know that in the past we were not always on the same page, and that I did not take your change into a vampire very well. I am glad that we can say that our relationship has taking a great turn in the recent months. My entire life I have been waiting for your wedding day, and I thought when you became a vampire that is one of those moments that was stolen from us. I have never been so happy to be wrong before."

Caroline wiped at the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes, she placed down her glass and hugged her mother, "I love you so much Mom."

"And I love you Caroline." Liz replied, and hugged her daughter tighter, "I wish your father was here to see you and walk you down the aisle."

"I do too." Caroline responded and pulled away, quickly making sure she wasn't crying before picking her glass back up.

"To Caroline, on the most special day of her life." Liz said and raised her glass in a toast, she wasn't even trying to wipe away her own tears.

The girls toasted and all had to wipe at their eyes from the emotions that Caroline and Liz had awoken in them.

"I knew waterproof makeup was going to be a good decision today." Elena commented as she patted at her eyes, causing everyone to burst out in giggles.

A knock on the door caused them all to calm down from the burst of emotions, Jeremy poked his head in, "Everyone is ready if you are." He said as he walked in, his eyes ghosting over Caroline, "You look great."

"Thanks Jer." Caroline said with a small smile, "Tell everyone we are ready."

* * *

Klaus was nervous as he paced the groom's suite, this was a day he had never expected to experience for himself. He was still shocked that his life had turned out like this, that someone as amazing as Caroline would want to spend the rest of her life with him. His family was here, together, and he had wanted that to come true for his entire life.

"Are you ready?" Elijah asked, placing a hand on his younger brother's shoulder.

"I still cannot believe that this day is here." Klaus admitted to Elijah, he was glad that their relationship was slowly turning back into what he had once been, best friends.

"It is, and you deserve to finally have a time in your life that can filled with love and understanding." Elijah told him, and felt the need to confess something, "I am sorry that I couldn't help you with that over the last centuries."

"I didn't deserve it before Elijah, I wasn't ready to receive it either." Klaus confessed to his elder brother, "I was so focused on breaking that damn curse, that I completely ignored everything that was truly should have been important to me."

"You have the next thousand years to make it up to us, and for us to make it up to you." Elijah promised, and turned around as Kol and Stefan walked into the room.

"Everything is all set, should I tell Jeremy to go get the ladies?" Kol asked, adjusting his jacket slightly as he looked over at his older brothers.

"We should have a toast before that." Stefan suggested and poured each of them of a small amount of scotch, "It isn't every day that an Original gets married after all."

"But it also won't be the last." Klaus commented as he winked at Elijah and grabbed the glass that Stefan offered.

"Today is all about you Nik." Kol reminded him, "And the beautiful blonde on the other side of the house."

"To Niklaus, the first of the Mikaelson's to take that final step to spending forever with the person they love." Elijah said and raised his glass.

"To Niklaus!" Stefan and Kol cheered and all four men downed their glasses.

"Go tell Jeremy we are ready." Klaus said as he placed the glass back down on the table, "I have an angel to marry."

* * *

Klaus was breathing heavily as he stood under the elaborate arch full of purple hanging wisteria and looked out over his yard full of the residents of Mystic Falls and about a dozen trusted friends of the Original family. As the whole of his family was in the wedding party, the front row on his side of the aisle held Marcel and a few more of the supernatural guests. At his side on the alter, in order, were Elijah, Kol, and then Stefan. Elijah gave his shoulder one last reassuring squeeze before the music started, and he gave his brother a quick smile before the focused on the starting procession.

Jeremy and April appeared at the top of aisle, each of them holding a baby in their arm. April was wearing the white and black paneled dress she had picked out months earlier, and Jeremy was dressed in the same style tux as the groomsmen but with a pink pocket square instead of lavender. Miranda was wearing a pale pink princess dress, and Henrik was wearing a mini-tux that matched that of the groomsmen. Elijah smiled proudly at the sight of his children walking toward them. When they reached the end of the aisle, April sat on the bride's side with Miranda and Jeremy did the same on groom's, filling in the last empty chair.

Rebekah appeared at the start of the aisle and slowly began walking down, her eyes rested mostly on Stefan before she smiled at Klaus when she reached the end. As Rebekah moved to stand in her spot, Klaus switched his eyes to Bonnie, who was now about halfway down the aisle. His flickered farther up the aisle as Elena took her place at the start, and switched his view to Elijah for a few moments. And couldn't help but see the love reflected in his elder brother's eyes. When Elena reached the end and took her place next to Bonnie, the music changed into the traditional bridal march.

Klaus locked his eyes on Caroline and felt as if his earlier statement had come true, she looked like a royal angel. And he knew that if had actually needed to breathe, that he would not be unable to do so.

Caroline let out a nervous breath as she joined her mom at the start of the aisle, finding it hard to believe that this moment had finally arrived. The smile on her face was impossible for her to control, but in all honesty, she didn't even try. She could tell that her mom was trying not to cry, and remain the stoic, hard-ass sheriff that the town had come to expect her to be. With the first step down the aisle she raised her eyes and they locked on Klaus, and remained there as she walked toward him. She could see the love that shone through him and knew that this would be the true moment that she became his forever and he became hers.

Klaus slowly walked down the three steps that raised the put together alter off the ground and waited as she approached. Liz carefully stopped when they reached him and turned to face Caroline head on. Liz slowly lifted the veil away from Caroline's face and fanned it over her head. She placed a kiss on each of her daughter's cheeks and whispered, "I love you Caroline."

"I love you Mom." Caroline replied, her voice already showing her fight to keep her tears of joy at bay.

Liz took Caroline's hand and gently placed it in Klaus', officially giving away her daughter. She had no words for Klaus, they had already shared all the warnings and such that they were going to when he proposed. Klaus nodded his head at Liz in thanks and led Caroline up the stairs to stand in front of Pastor Young, April's father. Caroline turned quickly and handed her bouquet to Elena before locking her eyes on Klaus once again.

Pastor Young began, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this company of witnesses to join together this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God, signifying unto us the mystical union that is between Christ and His Church; which Holy Estate Christ adorned with His presence and first miracle that He wrought in Cana of Galilee, and is commended of St. Paul to be honorable among all men; and therefore, not entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, soberly and in the fear of God. Into this Holy Estate these two persons present come now to be joined."

Pastor Young paused and looked out over the yard full of people, "If any man can show just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him speak now or forever hold his peace."

Klaus couldn't stop his eyes from drifting to Tyler, who was sitting in between his mother and Hayley in the third row on the bride's side. A small laugh from Caroline brought his attention back to her, and his eyes relaxed upon seeing her loving smile.

Once enough pause was give, and it was clear no one was going to speak, Pastor Young moved on, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

"I do." Liz said, raising to her feet and smiling at Caroline and Klaus before retaking her seat, her eyes flooded with unshed tears.

The pastor nodded at Liz before turning to the crowd once again, "Niklaus and Caroline would both like to say a few words to each other before the traditional vows are said. Niklaus."

Klaus held Caroline's hands and looked at her in the eye, "Caroline, my entire life I could feel that something was missing from my heart. The day you appeared in my life, was the happiest of my existence, and I know that our relationship didn't start out the best way, but this is where I always wanted to go. I promise to spend the rest of time showering you with all the love I am capable of giving, for you are my heart Caroline, now and forever."

Pastor Young turned and looked at the bride, "Caroline, what would you like to say?"

Caroline had to take a deep breath to calm her emotions, his words had nearly broken the control she had on her tears. She could hear that some of those present were not holding back. Caroline looked at Klaus and said, "Niklaus, I didn't know that I was missing a true, passionate love until I knew yours. We may not have started out as friends, but I would be lying if I didn't say that my life would be awful without you in it, for you are truly the best friend I am ever going to have. I am the happiest I have ever been, and I look forward to remaining this happy with you, my love, now and forever."

The pastor allowed everyone a few moments of silence following Caroline's truly heartfelt vows before saying, "Niklaus Mikaelson, will you have this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the Holy Estate of Matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others keep you only unto her as long as you both shall live?"

"I do so promise." Klaus said loudly, his strong voice echoing over the lawn.

"And Caroline Forbes, will you have this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the Holy Estate of Matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others keep you only unto him as long as you both shall live?"

"I do so promise." Caroline answered, her voice not nearly as loud but just as strong, she had never been this confident before.

"The marriage ring seals the vows of marriage and represents a promise for eternal and everlasting love. Do you have the rings?" Pastor Young asked, and Klaus turned to Elijah, who handed him one ring, and Caroline another.

Once the rings were firmly in hand, Pastor Young said, "Niklaus, Repeat after me, 'I Niklaus Mikaelson, take thee, Caroline Forbes, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish forever, according to God s Holy Ordinance, and thereto I give thee my pledge.'"

Klaus held Caroline's left hand gently and locked his eyes on hers, "I Niklaus Mikaelson, take thee, Caroline Forbes, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish forever, according to God s Holy Ordinance, and thereto I give thee my pledge." With the last word he slipped the golden band onto her finger.

The pastor turned to Caroline and said, "Caroline, repeat after me, 'I Caroline Forbes, take thee, Niklaus Mikaelson, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish forever, according to God s Holy Ordinance, and thereto I give thee my pledge.'"

Caroline switched the order of their hands, this time holding his left in hers, "I, Caroline Forbes, take thee, Niklaus Mikaelson, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish forever, according to God s Holy Ordinance, and thereto I give thee my pledge.'" She slipped the ring onto his finger, and felt a brilliant smile overcome her face, and was surprised it was possible to feel like this.

Pastor Young grinned at the couple before looking over the crowd once again, "Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. Forasmuch as Niklaus and Caroline have consented together in Holy Wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company of witnesses, and there to have given their pledge, each to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving a ring, and by joining hands; by the power vested in me by the State of Virginia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You many now kiss your bride."

Klaus leaned in and placed a sweet, loving, and still passionate kiss onto Caroline's lips and knew that he would now able to love her forever just like this.

As their lips separated, they turned to face their guests, and Pastor Young exclaimed, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I now present to you Mr. And Mrs. Niklaus Mikaelson."

The clapping and cheers were all the couple could hear as they walked up the aisle, dozens of flower pedals filling the air as they did, for what would an Original wedding be without a little magic.

* * *

Elijah stood up as the dessert plates were being cleared, he chimed a glass to get everyone's attention, and said, "I would like to take this opportunity to give the customary best man's speech." He paused at looked down at Caroline a few chairs from him, "Caroline, I can honestly say that the first time we met, I never thought we would be standing here today. Seeing how happy you make my little brother, I have never been happier to be wrong about a first opinion." He took a breath and looked to his brother, "Niklaus, for a long time we were at odds, but your beautiful wife is one of the reasons we are both standing here today. She has allowed you to become the person that I knew you were always supposed to be. The two of you have had your fair share of difficulties to overcome, but you two always took action together, strengthening the love that you two so clearly share. So I suggest a toast, to Nik and Caroline, forever and always."

Klaus looked at his brother in surprise, he was pretty sure that Elijah had never once called him 'Nik' in their entire lives.

Kol took up the cheer as the entire dinner toasted, "To Nik and Caroline!"

Caroline leaned over and gave Klaus a kiss on his cheek, causing him to turn and look at her instead of his elder brother, "I love you."

"And I love you." Klaus replied giving her a kiss on the lips, which caused the diners to erupt into another cheer.

* * *

Caroline had never felt happier in her life as Nik twirled her onto the floor for their first dance as a married couple. His hands found her waist and hers linked around his neck, her smile the largest she could manage.

"How are enjoying everything Mrs. Mikaelson?" Klaus asked, tightening his hold on just a little bit.

"Everything is perfect, Mr. Mikaelson." She responded and lifted up her mouth for a kiss. As their lips made the contact, the music began to play, it was 'At Last' by Etta James. Caroline smiled into the kiss, she hadn't been aware that he had changed the song, "I don't remember this being the song I picked."

Klaus laughed as he pulled away slightly, he smirked at her, "I felt this was far more appropriate for our love affair, as I have literally waited centuries to have you in my arms, and in my life."

"And in them I will stay forever, dearest husband." Caroline promised, positive she would never get sick of calling him that.

"I wouldn't allow you to be anywhere else, my lovely wife." He told her in return and captured her lips for another kiss.

* * *

Caroline laughed as she watching the couples dancing along the floor, her husband had left her for dance with her mother, and she was glad to see that they were finally getting along. A voice at her side distracted her from watching the dance, "May I ask you this one dance Mrs. Mikaelson?"

Caroline looked over at the elder Salvatore brother and raised her eyebrows, "You've never asked me to dance before."

"People can change Blondie, you should know that better than anyone." Damon replied, still slightly bowed and hand outstretched.

"Of course we can dance Damon." Caroline answered and placed her hand in his, allowing him to led her onto the dance floor.

The music flowed into a slow dance, and they adjusted their hands accordingly, but an appropriate distance was kept between them. Damon took a moment before saying, "You look beautiful Caroline, and your happiness is making you glow."

"Thank you Damon." She told him, surprised by his words.

Damon nodded and looked over shoulder, noticing that Klaus was busy talking with Rebekah, Katherine and Stefan. He glanced back at Caroline, "I should have done this a long time ago Caroline. I am sorry for everything that happened between us. I should never have done those things to you, and I have no excuses for them, none that are real anyway. I don't expect your forgiveness, but you deserve my apology."

Caroline actually stopped moving as his words washed over her. She had never thought that Damon cared enough about her to apologize. Caroline smiled at him, "I think I forgave you a long time ago Damon, but thank you."

"You are welcome." Damon responded, and took a step away from her, smirking at someone over her shoulder, "I will leave you to dance with your new husband."

Caroline smiled after him before she was turned around and found herself in Klaus' arms, "What did Damon say to make you look so amazed?"

"He just apologized for everything that happened between us when I was human." Caroline told him, "You didn't make him do that, did you?"

"Damon is on vervain my love, I couldn't make him do anything." Klaus reminded her, "But let's not talk about that anymore tonight. We are the only two people that matter right now, and I want to focus on that." He whispered into her ear, before placing a chaste kiss on her neck.

* * *

Klaus trusted his siblings to see the last of their many guests out as he carried his bride up the stairs. He wasn't sure he could wait much longer to be truly able to took her, to truly claim her and have her claim him in return. Caroline laughed as Klaus found it difficult to open the door to their bedroom with her wearing such a large dress. Klaus chuckled in return as he finally managed to open the door, "Who knew such a lovely dress would cause so much problems?" He posed the question as he used his foot to close the door behind them.

Caroline took a few steps back once her feet touched the ground, she looked at him with a warning, "You cannot rip the dress off, I want to keep it." She slowly took the veil off and threw it onto a chair in the room.

"I understand love. Turn around and I will undo it like a normal person." He assured her, and slowly started untying the laces that went up her back. Rebekah had insisted that she have a proper corseted top, it was stunning, but Klaus had been annoyed with these things the first time around, and he found he still was.

Caroline was leaning into his touch as he deftly undid the strings, and she felt it when there was finally enough give to allow it to pool around her. Caroline let the top of her dress drop before she stepped out of it and the hoop that was beneath it, leaving her wearing only her slip.

Klaus kept his eyes trained on her as he slipped out of his tux, leaving him naked in a matter of seconds. As soon as he was clear of all of his clothes, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her against him. One hand moved its way up to cup her face, and he placed a gentle kiss on her lips before throwing her onto the bed.

Caroline laughed as she bounced on the bed before he felt his hand roving up her leg, over the silky fabric of her slip. Klaus placed a kiss over her bare stomach and looked up at her, "Are we keeping this as well love?'

"Nope." Caroline replied, biting her bottom lip as she finished, knowing what was going to happen next.

Klaus wasted no time to tear away the flimsy fabric, and then gave her white lacey underwear the same treatment. He looked over her naked body with a look that Caroline was certain she hand never seen before, but she found it made her feel like she was his entire world.

Klaus slowly lifted her left hand and kissed the gold band that now rested against her engagement. Caroline smiled at the tender action and repeated the action with his own hand.

Klaus smiled and carefully placed himself over her, bringing his lips so they were ghosting over hers, "You have made me the happiest man ever to walk this planet today my love."

"And you have made me the luckiest woman in the world today." She responded and pulled him in for a long, sensuous kiss, only breaking it when she felt him move his hips and slowly push himself into her.

They spent the rest of the night just lost in each others bodies.


	45. Rest of Forever

Rebekah was excited as she packed her bags for her trip to Miami with her sisters for Elena's bachelorette party. It had been 4 years since Caroline's bachelorette party, and they really needed the girl time. Ever since she had gotten married, Caroline had not spent more than a few hours away from Klaus. It wasn't all Caroline's fault though. Bonnie spent most of her time with Kol, or with a witch coven that her mother had been a part of, they were helping her gain control of her magic again. Elena and Elijah remained in Mystic Falls, wanting their children to grow a bit before they left to travel the world as a family, which would happen after the honeymoon. And Rebekah, well she was enjoying her life with Stefan, which right now meant they were living in Rome.

"You do realize that you are only spending three days in Miami right?" Stefan asked as he watched her pack her third suitcase.

"We are heading right back to Mystic Falls afterwards to start preparing for the wedding." Rebekah reminded him, barely managing to close the suitcase as she did.

"You have an entire closet full of clothes there." Stefan pointed out in return, it was for that very reason that he had not packed anything at all. He was flying out to Mystic Falls early, he really didn't want to spend three days by himself if he didn't have to. Plus, there was the secret bachelor party to think about.

"There, I am done." Rebekah stated proudly as she placed the bag by her other two, all three looking like they were stretching the seams to their limit.

"Congratulations." He said dryly, and then added, "Now can I steal you away for dinner? It is already made and waiting. Nik and Caroline will be here in ten hours to pick us up and I would like to spend all that time with you. Especially since I won't see you for three days with all this wedding stuff."

"Dinner? That is what you want to do with our time?" Rebekah said seductively as she moved closer to him.

Stefan smirked at the blonde in front of him, "Yes, dinner is how I would like to start our evening, we can get to that after."

"This dinner better be special." Rebekah commented, a huff in her voice, and walked out the bedroom door, heading toward the dining room.

Stefan smiled as he followed Rebekah down the stairs and into the room, looking confused when she noticed the lack of food there. She turned and looked at Stefan, "Where is the food?"

"Out on the balcony." Stefan replied and opened the double doors, revealing an intimate table with two roses and four candles. The plates were covered and there was a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket on the far side of the table.

"What is this?" Rebekah asked, the grin on her face revealing her pleasure at the sight as she turned to look at him. Her breath stalled when she saw him down on one knee, an open box sitting in his hand, and a beautiful ring shining up at her.

"Rebekah Mikaelson, I love you more than I ever thought was possible. These last years with you have been the happiest of my life, even with our disagreements." Rebekah let out a small giggle at that and tried to keep the tears from falling as he continued, "I want to spend the rest of our never ending lives together. Will you marry me?"

"Of course." Rebekah responded and finally left the tears fall as he slipped the ring onto her finger. The cut was classic princess, and the stones were of a size that fit her likes perfectly, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

Stefan grinned as he rose to his feet and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting and spinning her around in a circle. She giggled as they turned around, and smiled as he lowered back slowly to the ground. Rebekah quickly pressed her lips against his, and smiled as her spun her around again, this time their lips were never apart.

As they separated, Rebekah looked at the set table, "Did you really make dinner?"

Stefan laughed and lifted up one of the covers from a plate, revealing an empty plate, "I knew better than that." He teased and grabbed the champagne before the two of them raced back up the stairs. Both knowing exactly how they planned to spend the hours before Nik and Caroline arrived.

* * *

"They'd better be ready, you know how Bekah likes to leave things to the last minute." Nik commented as they walked up to the front door of the simple villa that Stefan and his sister called home.

"Even if she isn't, we will still be on time." Caroline commented, laughing at her husband.

He didn't respond and just rang the doorbell, even though they were expected, he had walked in on his sister and his best friend in the act too many times to ever risk it again. From the amount of time it was taking them to answer the door, he was glad that he had knocked. He sighed and said, "They knew we were coming."

"Like we haven't ever done the same to them." Caroline said, and blushed at the time in Sydney when Rebekah had walked in on them. The look of shock on the other girls face had been priceless when Caroline thought back on it, at the time she was so embarrassed that it had taken her days to be able to look Rebekah in the eye again.

Stefan quickly opened the door, the buttons on his shirt not done up the right way, "Hey, you guys are early."

"No, we aren't." Nik said as he walked into the house, smirking at his friend while he shook his head, "You were just distracted."

Stefan just glared at his friend's back until Caroline distracted him with a hug, "It is great to see you Stef. Is Bekah ready or do I need to go help her pack?"

"She will be down in a minute." Stefan replied and looped his arm around Caroline's waist as they went to follow Nik into the sitting room.

Nik was busy making them all a drink when Rebekah came running into the room, "Caroline! Caroline!" She was yelling and pulled her sister into a hug, "I am so happy you are here."

"Hey, why don't get that kind of greeting?" Nik asked jokingly as he handed Stefan his drink.

"She loves her more." Stefan teased and slapped Nik on the back, waiting for the moment when Rebekah would tell their news.

"Look Care." Rebekah said as she pulled away, showing off her left hand to her sister.

Caroline lifted up Rebekah's hand and smiled, "About damn time." She said before pulling Rebekah into another hug.

Nik laughed at his wife and sister as they began talking about all the details under which Stefan proposed. He turned to look at Stefan, "Come on mate. Let's have a celebratory drink between brothers."

* * *

Elena laughed as Rebekah threw Caroline into the pool again, the Original easily able to overpower her sister-in-law. Katherine shook her head as she laughed and joined Elena and Bonnie on the side of the pool, placing her feet in the water instead of sitting in the empty chair, "So, our first drinks of the day will be arriving shortly."

"What did you order Kat?" Elena asked, sometimes it surprised her how much she had come to accept Katherine as a part of her life.

"That is a surprise." She said with a lift of her eyebrows before she disappeared over the edge of the pool with a little shriek. Rebekah and Caroline popped up a few feet away laughing as Katherine emerged above the surface of the water, "What was that for?" She asked, her voice in a place between angry and laughter.

Caroline looked at Rebekah before looking back at Katherine and saying, "Because I could."

Katherine's eyes flashed before she smirked and dove at Caroline. The three vampires chased and swam after each other in the pool while the three humans remained lounging on their chairs.

April turned and looked at Elena, "Are you ready to be married?"

Elena smiled at April, glad that her and Jeremy were still together after all of this time, and answered, "I am more than ready to be married, it is what else that it implies that I am a little unsure about still." She paused and looked back at the pool, and those that are in it, "I just never wanted to be a vampire, but I could never leave Elijah, and this is the only way for us to remain together."

"I think you'll be a great vampire Elena, especially with Elijah there to guide you." Bonnie said, she had been thinking about her future too. There was only so long that she could use magic to prevent her from aging, and it was a choice she was going to have to make sooner rather than later. But there was still something she wanted in life before she gave it all up to be a vampire.

"I agree." Caroline called from across the way, "And who ever got us this private house with servants, you rock."

"You are most welcome for the hospitality." Katherine bowed as she got out of the pool and sat back down in her chair, drying off as she did. She smiled as two men walked over carrying the trays of shots, "Come along Blondies, time to start this party right!"

Caroline and Rebekah were quick to take their places, and each were thankful for the shot of tequila that they were handed.

Caroline took charge, "Before we celebrate the true meaning of us being here, I suggest that this first shot should be in congratulations of Rebekah, and her engagement."

"Agreed." Elena said and held up her shot, "To Rebekah!"

"Congratulations!" The five women cheered as Rebekah blushed before they all downed their tiny glasses.

* * *

Elijah could tell that something was up the second he walked into the house with Klaus and Stefan after picking them up from the air strip. The most obvious missing sound was that of his children, who were always happy to greet him with hugs when he came home. He turned and looked at his brother, "Up to your old tricks Niklaus?"

"I do not know what you are talking about dear brother." Klaus replied, sharing a knowing smirk with Stefan before the three of them walked into one of the many sitting rooms.

"Really, then where are my children?" Elijah asked, not too concerned as he trusted Kol and Jeremy with them, but he was still curious.

"They are with Alaric and Meredith." Kol commented as he walked into the room, a bottle of scotch in his right hand, "They have nicely agreed to watch them for the night as we celebrate your upcoming end of singleness."

"I haven't been a single man for five years Kol." Elijah told him, not liking the idea of having a bachelor party. He remembered Klaus' clearly, and was not in the mood for a repeat performance of the night.

"Don't worry, we are having a guy's night in. We know you aren't into the party, party scenes." Damon replied as he and Jeremy wondered in from the kitchen. He had a second bottle of scotch in his hand, "The table is all set."

"Cool, I don't remember the last time we had a chance to do this." Stefan said, and followed his brother out of the room.

"That is because the last time you ended up disappearing for days." Damon pointed out, receiving confusing looks from the Mikaelsons and Jeremy. He sighed and explained, "In the sixties Stefan and I ran into each other in Atlantic City. I am not exactly sure what happened that night, but I found Stefan two days later naked under a bridge on the water front."

"I am not even sure what happened." Stefan admitted as they walked into the game room.

Where the chairs in front of the fireplace once were was now a poker table, already set up for the six of them. Elijah smiled at the sight, "Poker and drinking?"

"And cigars!" Kol announced pointing at a box that sitting a nearby table, "But those are for later. For now, deal the cards Salvatore."

Damon smirked and started to deal out the first hand.

As Damon handed out the cards, Stefan cleared his throat and said, "Before we begin, there is something that I want to share with all of you." He waited a moment to make sure that he had their attention before saying, "I asked Rebekah to marry me, and she agreed."

Everyone smiled and Kol said, "Awesome, now you will truly be a part of the family."

* * *

Elena smiled as she looked at her appearance in the full length mirror. Her curve hugging dress fit her like a glove before it flared out gently at her hips. She had gone for something much simpler than Caroline had, the only real details coming from a jeweled belt around her waist, and the slight ruching of her sweetheart bodice. She had her hair curled and then pulled the front section back, forming a small pinned tail at the base of her neck. The veil settled in perfecting above the knot, or it would once she put it on.

Caroline appeared in the mirror behind her, the lilac bridesmaid dress flowing down her body until it reached the floor. Her blonde locks were curled perfectly around her face, cascading down her back. She smiled at her friend, "You look stunning. Do you want me to put the veil on?"

"Yes please." Elena replied and let out a deep breath. Her eyes locked on Caroline's as the blonde placed the last remaining piece of her outfit, "I wish my mom was here to see this."

"I am sure she is watching it and smiling, so is your dad and Jenna and John. They would be so proud of you Elena." Caroline told her best friend and pulled her in for a hug.

There was a knock on the door and before either could answer Miranda and Henrik came running in, Rebekah close on their heels. She was wearing the exact same dress as Caroline, and she couldn't help but think that two truly looked like sisters. Rebekah smiled at them, "Sorry, they got away from me."

"It is fine." Elena said and knelt down so she was at eye level with her five year olds, "Are you two ready to watch mommy and daddy get married?"

"Yes." Miranda answered, shaking her hips back and forth causing the skirt of her pink dress to twirl around her.

Henrik nodded and fidgeted with his tie, "Do I have to wear this?"

Elena smiled at her son and fixed the tie, "Yes, you have to wear it."

Caroline laughed, "I guess he is more like Kol than Elijah when it comes to a suit."

Rebekah giggled in response, "Let's hope he grows out of it." She commented before looking back down at the twins, "Come on, we have to get the two of you into position. We are almost ready to start."

Elena nodded as Rebekah led her children away, Caroline turned at looked at Elena, "Are you ready to become a Mikaelson Miss Gilbert?"

The brunette couldn't help but laugh, which she was sure was Caroline's plan, "I have been ready for a long time Care."

"Then what else are you waiting…" She started to say when a throat cleared and the two of them turned to look at the door.

Alaric smiled at them, "You girls ready?"

"We are." Elena replied and nodded at Caroline, "Tell them to start."

"Will do." Caroline answered with a smile and walked briskly out of the room.

Elena took one last look at herself in the mirror and pulled the veil up to cover her face, "I'm ready."

"You look beautiful." Alaric said as Elena placed her hand on the crook of his arm.

Elena blushed at the compliment, "Thank you, and thank you for agreeing to give me away."

"You know I think of you as a daughter Elena, this is my honor." He replied honestly, and smiled down at her, tears in his eyes.

"Maybe one day you and Meredith will have kids of your own." She suggested the two of them had gotten married in a small ceremony at city hall two years earlier.

"We will see. Today, my darling girl, is all about you." He reminded her, a twinkle in his eye as the bride's song began.

Elena took a deep breath and looked down the long aisle of the church, her eyes landing on Elijah at the end of it, and all of her nerves just floated away.

* * *

Elena smiled as she sipped at the glass of wine in her hand as she stared out over the ocean, watching the sun slowly dip below the horizon. This was their second day in Hawaii, the tropical island was the location of both her honeymoon and the beginning of her new life, or unlife.

She heard Elijah approach her, and tried to get her breathing under control. Elena had never been this nervous around Elijah before, because today was truly going to ensure that they spent the rest of forever together. What she and Elijah were going to experience tonight was so much different than anything they had done before.

"You are completely sure you are ready for this? I have no problem waiting a few more years if that is what you would like." He told her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder.

"I don't want to get any older." Elena replied. She knew he was about 28 and that she could have a few more years if she liked before she got older than him, "I love you, and I am ready to be a vampire. I trust you to make sure that I don't do anything that I will regret or not be able to handle."

"Your compassionate soul is what I first fell in love with, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that you never lose it." Elijah promised her, and he glanced at her hand, "You should finish the wine."

Elena nodded, she had guessed that he had laced with his blood. Truthfully, she was pretty sure that he had been lacing drinks with his blood for years, just in case something beyond his control happened to her. Elena threw back her head and downed the rest of the wine. She took a deep breath and placed the glass on a nearby table before looking back out to the ocean, "I am ready whenever you are."

Elijah turned her around and gave her a strong kiss. He gave her a small smile and said, "I will be right here when you wake up." Before she had a chance to respond he did a quick twist of his hands and snapped her neck. Elijah carefully caught her falling body and lifted her in his arms, he was gentle as he laid her down on the bed, "I love you Elena." He whispered into her ear before he moved so he could lie down beside her.


	46. The Next Decade

Elena was sure that she had never felt more alive than she had in the last two weeks with Elijah, which she couldn't help but find ironic as they were also the first two weeks of her now undead existence. Hawaii was a beautiful place, with a bright sun, sandy beaches, and luscious, green forests. Elijah had chosen the Big Island, also named Hawaii like the state. It was less crowded than the capital and held much more possibilities as she tested out her new abilities. They had climbed to the top of a volcano and looked down in the caldera, seeing the bubbling lava as it met the air, and she knew it was a sight only a few dozen had never seen with their own eyes. Elijah had given her the option of just drinking from blood bags, or helping her learn the control of a hunt. She had wanted to try hunting before she gave it up. Caroline had told her that there truthfully was nothing better than straight from the vein. Elena would have to say she agreed, but she would stick with the blood bags until her children were grown, just in case she really couldn't handle it. She almost wanted to beg her new husband for them to stay a few weeks longer, she was enjoying all the freedom that the island seemed to provide.

She was ready to see her children though. The enhancement of her emotions that came with being a vampire only made her desire to protect them had intensified and not seeing them was almost like a form of torture on her mind. Elena had to push back her feeling on excitement as they drove from the airstrip back to the Mikaelson manor.

"Elena, try to contain yourself when you see them." Elijah joked, squeezing his wife's hand as they drove.

"I just love them so much." Elena explained, the smile on her face completely unremovable as the mansion came into view, "Is this how it felt for you when they were born?"

Elijah glanced at her briefly before looking back at the road, "In a way. The first time I laid eyes on our children, I just felt a swell in my chest, and knew that there was no way I would ever love someone as much as them. Not even you, though you are something special, I must admit." He replied and kissed the hand that was still wrapped around his.

"I always thought there was some exaggeration to this 'heightened emotions' things that you all warned me about, but you weren't wrong." She said, and gripped his hand tighter as they pulled into a stop in front of the house.

The door to the mansion opened and her two lovely children ran out, Klaus and Caroline coming out behind them. The two adults stayed in the doorway while the family reunited, just watching in case Elena wasn't as in control as Elijah believed.

"Mommy!" Miranda yelled and threw herself into Elena's arms, as Henrik did something similar with Elijah.

"Hello my beautiful princess, did you have fun with Aunt Caroline and Uncle Nik?" She asked as she released the hold on her little girl.

"Yes, they took us to a movie, and the park." Miranda said, and then lit up, "Aunt Care, Aunt Bekah, Aunt April, Aunt Bonnie and me all had a tea party, with real tea!"

"That sounds like fun." Elena responded, smiling up at the people still in the doorway.

"The uncles taught me how to play baseball." Henrik pointed out as the twins switched between which parent they were hugging.

"More like Kol taught him how to play baseball." Elena heard Nik comment to Caroline from the doorway, and knew this was something that she wouldn't have heard before.

"Are you going to be a baseball player then?" Elena asked her son, and saw him shake his head in the negative, "Why not?"

"Uncle Nik said we can't let Uncle Kol get everything he wants." Henrik explained, and all four adults broke into a fit of giggles.

Elijah recovered first, "Stop trying to corrupt my son Niklaus." He jokingly scolded.

"I would never do such a thing Elijah." Nik responded with a wink before he and a laughing Caroline disappeared back into the house.

Elijah laughed and picked up his daughter, "So, are you ready to start traveling the world?" He asked her.

"Yes!" Miranda yelled, "Hen and I have decided we want to go Australia first! I want to see the koala bears!"

"And I want the kangaroos!" Henrik yelled as his mother led him into the house behind his father and sister.

"Then Australia it is." Elijah replied and turned around to look at his wife, and couldn't help but think that everything was absolutely perfect in this moment.

* * *

Bonnie had made her decision, she loved Kol more than anything else in her life, and that included being a witch. The twins were older now, and she had insured that should they ever need it, that her coven would look after them, and teach them when the time came. Bonnie was silent as she sat on the couch in the living room of the house her and Kol lived in while in New Orleans. They had been in the city for almost two years now, Kol loved the underground culture that he had helped create and Bonnie loved the acceptance of the witches here. They did not judge her for loving a vampire, like many of the covens she had met before had.

"You are much quieter than usual today." Kol commented as he joined her on the couch, a tumbler of whiskey in one hand, "I don't think you have ever gone this long without trying a spell in the seven years we have been together."

"I've been thinking," Bonnie replied and looked up at Kol from under her lashes, "About the future."

Kol let out a sigh, he hated it whenever they had this conversation, "You are only 25 Bonnie, nothing needs to be decided yet."

"And you are 22, forever. I am already three years older than you, physically anyway, and I don't want to waste any more time thinking this over." Bonnie told him and then took a deep breath, "I am ready."

"Bonnie, I don't want you to do this just because you are worried about time…." Kol started to say, but Bonnie stopped him by putting her fingers to his lips.

"I have been thinking about this ever since Elena's wedding. I want to be with you Kol, and not just right now, but forever. There is only way for that to happen, I need to become a vampire." Bonnie informed him, and made sure her face was as serious as she could make it, "This isn't some rash decision. Like you said, we've been together for seven years. I know that when we first got together that neither of us thought that this is where we would end up, but it is. Now we both have to accept that there are two ways for our relationship to go, either you turn me into a vampire, or I need to leave and start a new life, without you in it."

Kol looked away from her intense stare, not sure what to make of the demand she was presenting him with. He had long ago stopped trying to make her see reason and allow him to turn her, but in his heart he always knew she would never agree. Kol shook his head and said, "Have you talked to Elena or Caroline about this?"

"I don't have to. I want to be a vampire Kol, but only as long as I can spend eternity with you. From your reaction to this though, I don't think you really want to spend it with me. You once tried so hard to get me to turn, but you haven't brought it up in years. I guess you no longer love me like you used to and that makes my decision for me." Bonnie said, feeling her emotions start to build up inside her, demanding release. She quickly got to her feet and started to walk briskly from the room, not wanting to look at him any longer.

Kol was in front of her in a blink of an eye, stalling any chance she had of leaving the room, "I would rather die than live without you Bonnie Bennett. If you are sure that you want to be a vampire, and stay with me for the rest of time, then I will turn you. I just want you to be absolutely sure that it was what you want, because there is no going back. Being a vampire is permanent Bonnie, are you sure you are ready to no longer be a witch?" He wanted to make sure that she had thought everything through, he didn't want to wake up in a decade, or a century to an empty bed because Bonnie had grown to resent him for her fate.

"I am sure. I have already made arrangements with the coven here in New Orleans, and the one in Virginia. They will help Henrik and Miranda if, when, the time comes for them to need magical training. I can't keep using them as an excuse, or my magic." Bonnie informed him, "I have been preparing for this for some time Kol, it is not as if I woke up this morning suddenly feeling the need to be a vampire."

"Why did you not mention it to me before now?" He asked her, looking her over carefully. If she had truly been thinking about this for nearly two years, then why did it take her this long to tell him?

"I wanted to be sure. I didn't want to give you false hope and then change my mind, that would have been cruel." She told him, and lifted a hand to cup his cheek, "I love you Kol."

He smiled at her and brought his lips down to hers in a searing kiss, when he pulled away he said, "I love you Bonnie." He brushed some of her hair out of her face and asked, "Did you have a plan for when you would like me to turn you, or how?"

Bonnie nodded, her face still in his hands, and a voice just above a whisper said, "Tonight, I will leave the how up to you."

Kol was taken aback by her words, "Tonight? You are sure you want to do it already? You said you haven't talked to the girls yet."

"I was thinking that I would just surprise them when we go to Milan next month for Bekah's bachelorette party." Bonnie said with a sly smile, "That should give me some time to learn control right? Caroline learned really quickly, and Elena did too."

Kol let out a small laugh at her confidence, "Hopefully I am just as good as a trainer in control as Stefan and Elijah then. I wouldn't want any harm to befall April."

Bonnie laughed too, "No, I don't think I could. Elena might stake me for killing her future sister-in-law."

"On that note, Jeremy asked me to be his best man." He said as they moved back to the couch, "I am so very flattered."

"I really am not surprised, you two talk more than should be normal for two heterosexual men in committed, long term relationships." She joked, loving to tease him about his close relationship with the man she had once been in love with.

"Same could be said about you and my sisters." He pointed out, but decided to let it slide easier than usual, he was far too happy at the moment. He gave her a swift kiss and then rushed off to the kitchen, ignoring her questions as to what he was up to. Kol returned carrying a glass of wine, he handed it over to Bonnie quickly.

She took it and asked, "Is this what I think it is?"

"My blood mixed with some wine, I thought you would enjoy it better this way then straight from the vein." Kol told her, and watched as she sipped at the wine, a grimace on her face before the glass every touched her lips. He laughed at her expression, "You won't be making that face when I offer you a glass of blood tomorrow."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at the man she loved, "Don't make me regret this already Mikaelson."

"Wouldn't dream of it." He replied with a wink, and Bonnie couldn't help but think that she really was ready to spend forever with him.

* * *

Rebekah let out a sigh of annoyance as she sat down next to Stefan on their balcony overlooking the city of New York. They had been married for almost four years now, their wedding had been a simple, elegant family affair. She had once planned to have a large, church wedding, but as she had thought on it, the idea of an old fashioned one like she would have had as human appealed to her less. She had still gone with an over-the-top ballgown princess wedding dress. Rebekah had gone with a corseted, sweetheart neckline top, with a natural waist. The dress had been smooth in the front, with intricate detailing, but the back had been full and layered leading into a three foot long train. Rebekah smiled at the memory as she looked over at her husband and asked, "Why must we always be the ones to suffer when they get into one of their more grand fights?"

Stefan let out a sigh of his own, "He is my brother Bekah, that is why."

"He should get better taste in women then." Rebekah pointed out.

"I thought you and Katherine had buried the hatchet." Stefan questioned, they certainly seemed to enjoy each other's company when the doppelganger came to visit, though not nearly to the same degree as her sisters.

"For the most part, I have let the past stay in the past, but that doesn't mean that have I truly forgiven her in her part for helping tear my family apart." Rebekah explained, and her mind drifted to those days in the 15th century that she would much rather forget, "What did she do this time anyway?"

"I don't know, Damon won't say on the phone. I guess he will tell us when he gets here." Stefan replied and looked down at his phone, "He should be here any minute. His plane landed twenty minutes ago."

Rebekah released another sigh, "If this about her refusing to marry him again, I don't think I will be able to refrain from snapping his neck. It would be the third time this year."

"Katherine is a…..complicated woman." Stefan said in defense, but he honestly didn't understand it either. It was also strange to think that everyone in their family was married, or almost so, with the exception of Damon and Katherine.

"I bet it is because Bonnie called all of us last week to announce her and Kol's engagement and wedding date." She pointed out with a knowing smile, "Kol always likes to cause problems, I bet he taunted Damon in some way about him being the last single man in the family. I mean, it was Jeremy and April announcing their pregnancy that brought it on the last time and Alaric and Meredith before that."

"Damon has always been a difficult man to understand." Stefan answered, just as a knock on the door signaled his elder brother's arrival, "Just give him support for whatever it is this time."

"I will do my best, but only because he became my brother the day I married you." She said, and put on her best smile as Stefan went to answer the door. She really was of the opinion that Katherine either needed to commit or let Damon go, because what she was doing was not fair to any of the many people involved.

Damon was all smiles as he and Stefan returned to the room, and that caused Rebekah's well thought out mask to fall. She looked to her husband in confusion, to which he only shrugged, before she looked at Damon again. Damon came up and gave her a large hug, spinning her around as he did, "So good to see you again sister Beks."

"You are in a better mood than I expected Damon." She replied when he finally put her back on her feet.

"Why shouldn't I be?" He asked, and then held up his left hand like it was on fire.

Both Stefan and Rebekah felt their eyes widen as they took in the gold band that circled his ring finger.

Stefan was the first to recover, "Kat agreed to marry you?"

"That she did." Damon confirmed and turned around to look out of the room, "Come on in wifey!"

Katherine was by his side in a second, smiling and holding up her own hand, "I decided it was time to either put up, or shut up. I love you guys all way too much to ever leave." She replied and gave Damon a nice long kiss before both of them fell into a fit of laughter over the still dumbfounded looks on the faces of the two vampires in front of them.

* * *

Caroline smiled as she saw the whale jump in the distance, it was not an uncommon sight for her lately, but it was still wonderful every time. She and her husband had spent the last year traveling the world due to the privacy of their own yacht. It was not large, just perfect for two people to handle on their own, but it was still the best money could buy.

Nik smirked when he saw the smile on her face, it was his favorite thing in the world, "Are you sure you want to head home already? There is still so much we haven't seen yet."

"The twins turn sixteen next week. We cannot miss that, especially when we are finally returning to Mystic Falls." Caroline reminded him, before taking a sip of the fruity drink sitting on a table next to her, her tiny string bikini leaving very little to the imagination.

He sighed as he moved her so he was sitting behind her and she leaned against his bare chest, "I still don't understand the need to send them to high school for a few years. They are both much smarter than anyone will be at their age in Mystic Falls."

"I told you before, it is about the experience. Just because they didn't have high school when you were…." She started to say but was stopped when he placed a hand over her mouth.

"Don't start on that again love." He teased, and used his other hand to tickle her side, "Or I might just have to distract you."

"I never tire of your 'distractions'." She told him, causing his hand to move to her neck and arched her back so she could turn and kiss him.

Nik used the hand at her neck to quickly undo the string that was holding up her bikini top, causing it to fall loosely under her breasts.

Caroline used her vampire speed and quickly turned around her seat so she was straddling him and kissed him with her full strength. Nik took the opportunity to undo the string that wrapped around her back, leaving her completely topless to him and the empty ocean around them.

He separated their lips and looked down at her chest appreciatively, "I will never grow tired of looking at you my beautiful wife."

"And I will never grow tired of you calling me that." She whispered into his ear before she leaned down and bit gently into his neck. Blood sharing was something they did daily and it was always something she enjoyed, there was nothing in the world that tasted as rich as his blood.

Nik groaned in pleasure as her delicate fangs pierced his skin. He made hasty work of his swim trunks and the bottom of her bikini. He loved feeling her wrapped around him when she drank from him, it always made their final release so much more intense.

Caroline pulled her mouth away from his neck with a gasp as he pushed into her without so much as a warning, not that she minded.

They each groaned in pleasure as their movements quickened and they got closer to their releases. Nik could feel himself getting closer and bit into her neck, which brought her over the edge and he rode it completely before slowly working back up. Caroline was still amazed at the level of control he had over his body, and her own. She quickened the movements of her hips, trying to bring on his own pleasure before she reached her climax yet again.

Nik released his fangs from her neck and brought his lips to hers, and together they both reached their edges and fell over it happily.

Caroline sighed as she turned back around and leaned against his solid form, the sun was setting in the distance, and the sight was almost otherworldly. She let out a content sigh and said, "Have I ever thanked you for all of this?"

"All of what love?" He asked and kissed the top of her head.

"This life you have giving me, it is truly perfect and I couldn't have asked for anything more." She told him, smiling as the sun continued its' decent.

"It is I who should be thanking you, my love." He whispered, and held onto her tighter, for she was the important thing in the world to him, and wherever she was, was his favorite place to be.


	47. Epilogue: Everyones Happy Ending

Elena couldn't believe they were actually celebrating this day, 25 years ago she would not have considered this day impossible. She felt the tears form in her eyes as she looked at her daughter in her white dress, "You look so beautiful."

Miranda turned around and looked at her mother, "Mom, it isn't like you weren't there when I picked it out." She said, rubbing her hands over her mother's upper arms.

"This is different, everything is even more real now." Elena said, trying to choke back the tears.

"Just let your mother have her moment Miranda. She wasn't any different at her own wedding, or mine, or any other wedding she has ever attended." Caroline commented as she wandered out from behind a screen, making sure her wig was in place.

"Thanks Aunt Care, but I think I can understand it." Miranda said, smiling at the vampire across from her before looking back at her mother, "Mom, isn't this what you've always wanted, for me to get married and have a family?"

"Of course it is, and these are tears of joy." Elena said, wiping the tears from under her eyes, "My little girl is all grown up."

Caroline came up to her sister and wrapped her arms around her from behind, resting her head on Elena's shoulder, "I can't believe that this day has finally come. Our baby girl is getting married, she won't need us anymore."

"Nonsense, she will always need us." Rebekah commented as she entered the room, straightening her blue dress as she did.

"Are we sure this is going to work? I find it hard to believe that no one is going to recognize us." Bonnie said as she walked from behind another dressing screen, adjusting a wig of her own.

Miranda laughed as she took in the wigs that her family was currently donning to try and pass as different people, "There is a reason that I convinced Daniel to have a destination wedding instead of just staying in Mystic Falls."

"Have you told Daniel everything?" Bonnie asked, her and Kol had spent the last five years staying mostly to themselves, she hadn't even met her soon to be nephew-in-law until five days earlier.

"Yes." Miranda answered, looking over herself in the full length mirror once again, "I told him that I am a witch, that my brother is a witch and that almost our entire family are vampires. I half expected him to run for the hills while calling me a crazy person, but he was remarkably understanding about the whole thing. It did of course take a little convincing, but I had help." She said and smiled at her mother, who smiled shyly back through her tears.

"How did Elijah take the news by the way?" Bonnie asked, sure that everyone else already knew the story.

Caroline laughed, she and Klaus had been present for that dinner conversation, actually, "Nik told me that he and Elijah had a very long talk with Daniel about his intentions before he proposed. He even asked for permission to have MJ's hand."

"Hey, I asked for the nickname to stop." Miranda said, pointing a finger at Caroline accusingly.

"Don't point that me, it was all Kol's fault it ever started in the first place." Caroline responded, putting her hands up in defeat.

There was a knock on the door to the bridal room and a dark haired head came through it, "If we are done with the female gab fest, some of us have a wedding to be in."

"Shut up Hen." Miranda scolded her brother, smacking him lightly on the head when he got closer.

"You look beautiful MJ." He told his sister and pulled her in for a hug, "Are you ready?"

"Yes, let's get this thing started." She said, smiling brightly at her twin, who was also the best man, "Where is Dad?"

"Waiting with the uncles outside." Her brother told her, and smiled as he walked her to where the rest of their family was waiting.

Elijah felt the breath leave his body as he took in his daughter's beautiful appearance, and felt a lump form in his throat.

"You look stunning Miranda." Nik said as he took up her hand and placed a kiss on it.

"Couldn't agree more MJ." Kol piped in, looking over at her.

"Thank you both." Miranda responded and glanced over to Jeremy, who was talking with Stefan about something and had yet to turn around until they heard her voice. She knew from the looks on their faces that they were thinking along the same lines as her other uncles, "Is everyone ready?"

"Yes, we will all go take our seats, and send in your bridesmaids." Caroline told her as she linked her arm around Nik's and her family all filed out of the room, with the exception of her parents and brother.

Henrik looped his arm around his mother's waist and stood so the two of them were facing Miranda and Elijah, "Are we all ready for this? This is the start of a new chapter in our lives."

"The one I always wanted, for you both." Elijah said and kissed the top of Miranda's head, "Now you get to have a family of your own."

"Don't worry Dad, you will get to be a part of it." Miranda promised him, before smiling as her three best friends from college walked in the door and the music began to play.

Henrik started off the procession by walking Elena down the aisle, a spell in her necklace making her appear her true age, the same going for Elijah. The three bridesmaids followed behind, leaving Miranda and Elijah alone for a few seconds.

"I love you my darling princess." Elijah whispered to her as the bridal music began.

"And I love you Dad." She replied with a smile and had to fight back her tears. Today was really the beginning of her future, and she couldn't have been more excited. Everyone she loved was truly happy, and that was all that mattered to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That is all of it! Thanks for reading! :)

**Author's Note:**

> I'll load all the following chapters as I edit them. The story is complete, but don't think that doesn't mean you can't tell me what you think.


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